‘No maize exports until Zambia secure’
AGRICULTURE Minister Michael Katambo says Government will only allow export of maize once it buys the targeted one million metric tonnes strategic food reserves.
Mr Katambo said Government wanted to ensure that Zambians had enough food before it considered exporting grain.
He said heightened security screening in all borders and bush paths would continue to curb maize smuggling until the country was food secure.
“We will not allow any exports of maize until we buy our targeted one million metric tonnes, we want our farmers to understand that the stance Government has taken is not a ban on exports but a restriction,” Mr Katambo said.
He said this on Thursday when he toured fertiliser and seed depots in Lundazi.
Mr Katambo advised farmers to be patriotic and sell their maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) so that they help contribute to national food security.
“Even after meeting our target, we will only allow export of 210, 000 metric tonnes we recorded in the crop focus survey. Government will take advantage of this year’s bumper harvest to buy more maize because we don’t know what the future holds especially in the advent of the Coronavirus,” he said.
Mr Katambo said he was aware that people in neighbouring Malawi were offering a lucrative price on maize but urged farmers to consider selling to FRA before they could be allowed to export.
And Lundazi Member of Parliament Lawrence Nyirenda urged Government to consider increasing beneficiaries on the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).
“Farmers have been complaining that it is only a few that are on FISP and that a majority have been left out.
“I have been receiving numerous complaints over the same issue, most farmers have formed cooperatives with the hope of receiving farm inputs under FISP,” Mr Nyirenda said.
Meanwhile, Neria’sIinvestments Limited has completed the delivery of fertiliser that was allocated to Lundazi.
General Manager Martin Chaikatisha said the company was ready to start distributing to remote areas once the 2020/2021 farming season starts on September 1.