MAIZE EXPORT BAN TIMELY

WE are not surprised that the government has banned the export of mealie meal considering that some parts of the country have experienced shortages.

The export ban, announced by Agriculture Minister Rueben Mtolo Phiri in Lusaka yesterday is in fact overdue even as Government maintained that the ban will not be imposed as the country has enough maize stock.

The continued export has seen the food security declining as it was seen in some parts of the country where the staple food, mealie meal as well as maize, was scarce.

Government had continued exporting maize even after Parliament had warned that the selling of the 1.5 million tonnes of maize was going to cause catastrophic levels of hunger triggered by high mealie meal prices.

With this situation, the prices of the staple food went up in some provinces like Eastern Province hitting between K350 to K400.

The prolonged dry spell has also been a source of concern because crops in many parts of the country have dried posing a serious food insecurity.

This situation has prompted the government to impose a ban on maize export until it ascertains how much stock the country will have after the next harvest.

Mr. Phiri said the country currently had about 800, 000 metric tons of maize of which an excess of 300, 000 metric tonnes of maize was at the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and 300, 000 metric tonnes was with millers and traders.

He said the government would have to look at the new stock of maize which would start coming in March from the early maize grown by commercial farmers and from the rain fed crops in parts of the country which had received favourable rains.

“There is no need for people to panic because of the dry spell that the country is going through because it was expected as we all know this is an El Nino year where we expected flashfloods and drought in some parts,” Mr Phiri said.

Mr Phiri said Government had put up a call to commercial farmers to grow early maize under irrigation in October and that support was given to the farmers that was after they harvested wheat.

He also indicated that the early maize from the commercial farmers was earlier earmarked for export but the government would hold on to the commodity so that it can assess how much stocks would be raised from the rain fed crops.

Under this scenario, the decision by the government is the only way that will help the country to be food secure.

While it is important to help countries that need the commodity, it is important that the country’s interest is prioritised for the betterment of the people.

The country’s maize stock cannot be guaranteed and the more reason why the export ban maes sense.

Already, the Small-Scale Farmers Development Agency (SAFADA) has warned that the country is expected to produce less than 2.5 million metric tons of maize in the 2023/2024 crop harvest season.

According to SAFADA chief executive officer Boyd Moobwe, the harvest will be down from 3.2 million tonnes harvested in the previous farming season.

Mr Moobwe said the predicted low maize yield estimate was based on unfavourable reports from farmers around the country whose crops have been damaged by the dry spells experienced.

Mr Moobwe predicted that the minimal yields for the current farming season would damage the economy of individual farmers and present challenges to the country’s food security.

The warning by SAFADA should not be taken lightly and the government’s intervention will ensure food for the population.

It is also important that the government tightens security to ensure that no mealie meal or maize is smuggled out of the country.