‘BAN MAIZE EXPORTS TO DRC’
...until the nation is certain that the rain season will be favourable
GOVERNMENT should consider effecting a ban on the export of maize to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) until the nation is certain that the rain season will be favourable, a Kitwe farmer and business executive has said.
Mr Augustine Mubanga said the continuous dry spell was a threat to food security and it was imperative that the government took necessary measures like effecting a ban on the export of maize to the DRC in case, the dry spell degenerated into a serious drought.
In an interview in Kitwe yesterday, Mr Mubanga said most farmers were likely to incur huge costs because most of them had already planted maize seeds in their fields, but because of the dry spell, their crops had gone to waste soon after germinating.
"So because the farmers
depend on agriculture for survival, they need to re-plant their seeds which is another cost after having lost out in the initial planting. This dry spell should not be taken rightly, it should be taken seriously because it may degenerate into a serious drought.
"This dry spell is a threat to food security and so government must take preventive or pro-active measures which
should include effecting a ban on the export of maize to the DRC until the nation is certain that the rain season will be favourable,'' Mr Mubanga said.
Mr Mubanga also urged Government to consider compensating farmers whose crops have been damaged by the dry spell upon germinating because most farmers have incurred huge costs.
"Farmers will incur huge costs as a result of the damage caused by the dry spell and also re-planting. So government must come on board to cushion the impact by considering compensating affected farmers,'' he said.
Small-scale and Peasant farmers in Lufwanyama and Kamfinsa constituency are deeply worried at the continuous dry spell and are fearing that if it continues, the area could experience serious hunger
Mathew Banda, a 67 year old Ex-miner ,said good rains and early delivery of agricultural inputs had in the past resulted into good harvest with herself recording between 200 to 250 x 50 kilogrammes of maize.
Mr Banda, however said she was not sure of how many bags of maize she may harvest with the continuous dry spell especially that the dry spell had continued after planting seed of more than K3, 000.