Thursday, March 28, 2024

Imported maize to roll in

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The Food Reserve Agency (FRA) says the imported 110 metric tonnes of maize will start arriving in Zambia next month.

Executive Director Anthony Mwanaumo says the agency is this week expected to complete the signing of three contracts to facilitate the importation.

Dr. Mwanaumo said one contract has already been signed while the other remaining two will be signed by the end of this week.

He was speaking in an interview with ZNBC news in Lusaka, Wednesday.

And Dr. Mwanaumo has appealed to millers that have accessed from the agency to pass on the benefits to consumers by reducing mealie-meal prices.

He said millers who have not yet reduced mealie-meal prices should emulate their contemporaries who have reduced the prices of the commodity to acceptable levels.

And National Milling Corporation says it will soon reduce mealie meal prices in line with the reduction in maize prices by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

Managing Director Peter Cottan said his company submitted a letter recommending a reduction in mealie meal prices to the minister of Agriculture, Wednesday.

Mr. Cottan explained that national milling delayed in reducing the price of mealie meal because the old contract it had with the Food Reserve Agency has expired.

He also told ZNBC that his company will start buying subsidized maize from FRA starting Wednesday.

Mr. Cottan said national milling will announce a reduction in mealie meal prices after getting a feed back from government.

The Food Reserve Agency last week announced a reduction in maize prices from 63 thousand Kwacha to 55 thousand Kwacha for a fifty kilogramme bag.

Chimanga Changa Milling Company became the first Company last week to reduce price of its Mealie Meal following the reduction in the cost of Maize from FRA.
[ZNBC]

60 COMMENTS

  1. Thats very good news atleast I will go to sleep nicely knowing that my fellow Zambians won’t die of starvation next month. Well done RB.

  2. Hence RB’s vacation in Mfuwe trying to figure out how to feed hungry Zambians. But what about tomorrow,next year and the year after? Honestly, RB should not start running into a rut so early! I do agree with Mambo in a way.

    To my fellow bloggers, do have a fab new new ‘but’ do avoid drink driving.

  3. My last 2008 advice to RB and GRZ is that, they should engage the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) and other stakeholders to come up with solutions on solving food deficits in most Zambian households. RB, (Mr President or is it Your Excellency?), you should not forget the campaign promises from both yourself and your campaign team eg. the 75% Fertiliser cost during the campaign that you promised was no different from what then president Kenneth D Kaunda had promised the Zambian people, where he had promised an egg on every Zambians dinner plate everyday. But atleast, he brought in the isrealis in Kafubu Block, Luanshy to do poultry farming. What about you RB?

  4. i will end this year with saying, B A S T A R D S better start making valid projections else the whole lot of u will be chucked out come the next general elections! BANGWELE!! happy & a prosperous 2009

  5. awe guys mulasekesha…mbuya wandi “RB” dont make food issue as a ompaign strategy…i know ubwali can make even ishilu tovote for you..
    but lets do this guys..infula is not donated by neither EU or USA”Obama or Brother G.W Bush”just make farming imputs available in time then bana kulu ku chipata ,chinsali ,mongu and my tonga friends will be very happy and vote wisely next time..stop bulling us with ubwali…i agree with ichalo lifupa…ba uzee mwandi

  6. Happy New! To all the Zambians and thanks for all your ideas and contributions on the blog and looking forward to a year when your contributions and idea will help to build Zambia **==**==**==

  7. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AS YOU ALL KNOW WE ARE IN FOREIGN LANDS AND ITS LIKELY THAT NO ONE WILL SPEAK ON OUR BEHALF REGARDING THIS PASSPORT SAGA. THEREFORE MY SUGGESTION IS THAT WE PERTITION AS ONE VOICE THAT THIS CHANGE OF PASSPORT BE EXTENDED BY AT LEAST SIX MONTHS. EACH ONE OF US SHOULD WRITE THREE LETTERS
    1. TO FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN ZMBIA
    2. HOME AFFAIRS
    3. ZAMBIAN EMBASSY IN YOUR COUNTRY

    ZAMBIANS LET US UNITE WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

  8. #1, Sarah Jones my mate .
    I advised you in the other thread..can’t remember which one.. mebbe about Lubinda etc.
    LT might start planning a surprise dirty name for you at the end of the year.. you know this number thing. I do not want this to happen to you.

    Try to add undiluted lemon crush/cordial to your redwine… Oprah Winfrey does it too… good stuff/taste..

    I care mate!!! :-?:-?:-?:-?:-?:-?:-?<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p@};-

  9. 18.Cutey.
    I will try that.
    Hey this number thing went with 2008. Am not going to do that anymore in 2009 as I have other things to pursue. The Good thing is that We have all made it to 2009.

  10. If men with brains like HH. Dr Mwanaumo was going to be fired before the importation of maize. I even wonder where he got his doctorate from. FRA was not formed yesterday for it not reach that level of not importing basic food like maize.FRA was supposed to be exporting maize to neigbouring countries like Congo and Zimbabwe. Its very embarasing nshameful to know that Zambia a country without civil wars is importing basic food stuff like maize. For God sake, maize grows in zambia any time of the year. Somebody is wondering.I amdoing agriculture science and so I know what am talking about.
    Why not promote irrigation farming?
    Member of the Chin da-Law Association.
    Upcoming President

  11. If men like HH were in power/Dr Mwanaumo was going to be fired.
    If irrigation farming can not be promoted or implemented since it has been talked about swince Mr Sikachanas time as agric minister,
    then why not promote or motivate farners to produce more or to release their products by buying them at a reasonable price?A price that will make them produce more and sell to FRA. We are loosing out revenue. This is not time to import simple things like maize. We need weapons this time.
    Awe mwandi, iyi nkani ya so tisa invele nafuti this year. Lets be professional in our responsibilities and not just getting millions of Kwachas for being Dr Nso Nso
    From the Chinda-Law Association.
    Upcoming Pr

  12. Mr Kavindele was right to say FRA has failed to meet its mandate.
    Small countrie like China and Japan are producing more food to meet the demand of their countries.These countries are very small in size such that they are now buying soil to bury part of the sea and ocean in order to have land. But for us we have all the land we need. Ni nkanda kufipa ilengesa olo ni chani? Awe mwandini, iyi nkani yanimvesa kuyipa ine.
    From the Chionda-Law Assocition.
    Upcoming Preasident.

  13. FRA is a reflection of the Govt of the day. Total kugwa bane. It is Now 2009 over 100,000 speeches by these politicians educated and not so educated we have failed to feed ourselves,and deliver medical health to all the Zambians,The worst thing you can do bloggers and fellow Zambians is to be quite.

  14. All the Zambians abroad ( South Africa,Swaziland,Ghana,Europe,China and the USA) Concerned about the passport send us your ideas so we can begin the signature petition drive we need more than 5000 signatures e-mail us at [email protected]

  15. Zambia Passport Teleconference For all Concerns and contribution on how we speak as one Voice (Europe,Asia,America,South Africa,Ghana and all) Please call in, Conference Call on January 3rd,2009 at 11:00 am Central Time USA
    CONFERENCE DIAL-IN NUMBER: (218)844-8230
    PARTICIPANT ACCESS CODE: 853993#

  16. 13. Wawa,

    Why up to now do we need to be importing maize?

    Because the government for the last 17 years has not believed in actual planning, because that would ‘create more government’, when we should ‘let the market decide’. ‘Free markets’, remember?

    UNIP believed in national planning, and as a result, the present government is still using it’s infrastructure, like INDENI. But neoliberlism has refused to tax the mining industry, to the point where the government has money to invest in infrastructure without borrowing.

    Thank you, Milton Friedman, thank you, Ayn Rand.

  17. We need to start developing agriculture.

    Only 20% of arable land is under cultivation, 3% is under permanent irrigation, 70% of the population lives in less than $1 per day, rural areas have very little infrastructure and farmers have little security of tenure – such as title deeds. Farmers have little access to land and credit or capital goods.

    That is the answer.

  18. #24 & 25 Please dont bore us, you had enough time and money (Tithe) to pay for you passport. Dont publicize your poor financial dicipline and planning on this website. We are discussing how Zambians will be eating but you are busy pasting nonsensicals. Just pay its only K 500 pin. I am sure thats what you use to pay for escort services out there. Happy 2009 ba Father !

  19. Imported 110 tonnes of maize at what expense? Everyone will be amazed at how much that will cost the country! I bet more than it would have cost growing 1000 tonnes of maize.

  20. A Good idea alright.

    But what buffles me is why do we have to import something we can easily grow?

    I was there when we had corn from the US. I thought that should have been lesson enough. What measures has the government put in place to ensure we are not importing again next year?

    I can see people going on holiday again after importing maize. Yeah why not when villagers will be celebrating!:d

  21. #22 Who was your teacher of Geography ? 😮 or maybe it wasnt included in your Night School (Shibuneki, SSG) syllabus coz even Mbesuma knows that China is not a small country as you want to make us believe. You can do better though !

  22. #24, 25 Please dont expose your financial indiscipline on this site over passports ! You were given enough time to pay so why do you want to turn your inadequacies into a matter of concern for LT Bloggers. Which petition ? you are jus broke out there…return to zed exsay 500pin is a small issue ask Anonymous he will give you some. check this outu !

  23. Familiar tales every year. Importing maize form where? Are these guys not buying back the maize they sold so as to scam the blind and hungry Zambians? This is the same thing that was happening to ZCCM. Buying same stuff over and over. Now since ZCCM is not so attractive, they are now buying the same maize that grew in Mkushi block from their friends in nearby countries where they stored it for some days. How come FRA has now found money to buy maize when in fact they had chance of buying from our farmers but never did so at the appropriate time until now when people are panicking? CROOKS.

  24. The Food Reserve Agency has nothing to do with the actual cultivation of Maize. It is just a marketing and storage agency. So stop misdirecting your criticism;Mwanaumo has nothing to do with the shortage of maize.

  25. kind of s!lly, innit? only six/seven months ago the country exported 100,000 tonnes to zimbabwe. they are probably importing at a higher price than they sold it to mugabe for his tissue currency.

  26. PRESIDENT Banda says he will not entertain manipulation of food prices because this has the potential to destabilise national security.
    He appealed to those in the production chain to be sincere in their dealings so that predictable and realistic food prices could prevail. UNIP IS TRULY ALIVE AND WELL. NEXT WE WILL SEE THE RE-INTRODUCTION OF THE PRICES AND INCOMES COMMISSION.

  27. No need 2 import maize, Zambian soil fertile like Ishensi! And which country dem get de maize from? We nuh waan canadian gen-manipulated corn weh dem use fe feed dem horses. [-(

  28. 3RqU

    Ok,Iam around my dear its just that I thought of giving some pipo a chance to deal with their anger that they had for me.

  29. When the Govt fails to act, we criticise them, when they do act, we criticise them!

    Sometimes, it is good to give credit where credit is due, no matter which party we do or do not support!

  30. Correction to one blogger .China is not a small country in size even economically.Please!!! Check your primary atlas and see the size of China.

    Thank You.

    :-?:-?:-?:-?:-?:-?:-?:-?:-?:-?:-?:-?:-?:-?

  31. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU GUYS ON LT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p

  32. 48. Jaroph

    When the Govt fails to act, we criticise them, when they do act, we criticise them!

    Isn’t that in part because it is often very difficult to tell who is responsible for what?

    If you want to see a comprehensive agrarian reform, who do you turn to? The President? The ministry of agriculture? Who does the planning, and how can they be reached?

  33. Kanshi,what`s wrong with the thinking of our leaders?When there`s heavy rain fall,no irrigation system is put in place to counter any drought.When we experience a bumper harvest,we rush to export the same product we might be needing in the near future.It`s these kind of issues why we`re always referred to as an UNDER DEVELOPED nation.

  34. #29. Yes China a small country. Try to compare it with its population.
    The Chinda-Law Association.
    Upcoming President.

  35. #32, Ba Maureen. China has a population of of 1.3 billion people on a territory of 9.6 million sq. meters.
    9600000/1300000000=0.00738=0.01m. sq. per person. And you say China is not a small country. Let me give you a grade 4 level example,if you want to buy a plane worth $7000000 and If I want to buy a car worth $20000, and it hapen that we receive a gift of $100000 each. Who has enough money(extra cash)? Why is it that Chinese are all over the world?
    I was at St. Raphaels sec school in L/stone. My Geography teacher graduated from UNZA. Oh, I am not far from China,believe me.
    The Chinda-Law Association.
    Upcoming President.

  36. #36 Mbulawa. Its not misdirecting comments or critics.
    Whats the role of FRA? If its run by normal people who understand agribusiness,the role of FRA will not be buying,storing and selling agroproducts.But it has to stimulate the producer to produce more.
    How do you make the producer to produce more?You give him knowledge on how to do that if he lacks the knowledge(new technology etc),you buy his goods at a good price(that satisfies him) and you ensure him that you will still buy from him next time.
    Now,question. Why did farmers hold their maize?How aws the srity br FRA to buy all the maize from farmers and what was the price for the commodity?
    Chinda-law Associate.
    Upcoming President

  37. Just a correction. The role of FRA will not be buying,storing and reselling agroproducts only, but also to stimulate the producers.
    Chinda-Law Association
    Upcoming President

  38. 55. Anonymous,

    That is 9.6 million kilometers, not meters. 1 square km is 1000×1000 meters, or 1 million square meters. 9.6 million km is 9.6 trillion square meters. Divided by 1.3 billion people, that is 7384 square meters per person.

  39. #16 @};- Good thinking. Tiyende Pamozi ndi mutima umozi. Zambians ‘The Author’ has a GOOD IDEA! Lets all work together. Your letters will make a difference!

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