President Rupiah Banda has directed Agriculture Minister, Brian Chituwo, to immediately address the issue of illegal importation of wheat.
President Banda says the ministry of Agriculture must collaborate with law enforcement agencies to stop the practice.
Mr. Banda says it is sad that Zambia still imports wheat when there are more than 80,000 metric tonnes of the commodity in the country.
The president was speaking on Wednesday when he addressed commercial farmers in Mkushi farming block.
Mr. Banda commended farmers in Mkushi for increasing annual wheat production from 30,000 thousand metric tonnes in the past five years to 190,000 metric tonnes last year.
He said if the trend continues the country will in the next two years be self sufficient in wheat.
President Banda also said government will soon be consulting commercial banks to see how best they can support farmers in the country.
And Agriculture Minister, Brian Chituwo, said government will continue supporting the agriculture sector because it has the potential to grow the economy.
Earlier Mkushi farmers association chairman, Simon Hunt, appealed to the president to ensure that financial institutions support commercial farmers.
Mr. Hunt said it is unfortunate that wheat farming is considered as high risk business by most commercial banks.
[ZNBC]
Awe sure, mwilantekunya.
Press Clipping:
RB: It is sad that last year we continued to import wheat when we had over 800,000 metric tonnes of the commodity in the country.
Press: Just how much wheat came into the country, your Excellency?
RB: I dont know. But i would like to thank and commend the people of ‘Mukusi’ for electing me as President during last years elections.
RB pantu your son who brought in GMO’s is not involved now in this importatation.
Law is law
“COMMUNICATIONS and Transport minister Dora Siliya (left) yesterday told the judge Denis Chirwa Tribunal that she did not read the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which she signed on December 22, 2008 with RP Capital Partners.”.
IF you knew the the arrangement what would have forced to read the document, DORA?
Is Dora so dum that she signs anything that she is given.
Or she is playing dum.
Which is which?
Ba honey, you already know the answer: Dumb!!
It is very embarrasing for the Minister to sign anything before reading. Anyway, what do you expect from Dora apart from the other thing ??? Ask Chisha
You mean Dra went blind when signing the MoU?
Dora is not dum , she is playing dum, now that she is been caught.
Dora is just playing up. She is not dumb. Though she sounds confused at times.
She thinks the whole case is already null and void, hence nullity is always on her mind. lol
She knows that if there was a case to answer , she would have been out of office pending outcome of tribunal.
I hope Banda won’t sleep to allow the same tonnage of the wheat commodity he is boasting about slip through the boarders in the name of exportation to other countries to leave the country short of bread and face sky rocketing prices as is the case with maize flour. This is in view of the claimed bumper harvest and reassurances that we have enough corn in the country, later only to hear that we’ve run short of maize pa zed as the situation is todate. Be resolute.
Wasnt it just last year , we were hearing about the prices of maize and other food stuffs going up. There is need to have a plan put in place so that the pipo are not left short of the produce.
Bali mu defence ba sister. She will even stop talking.
She might even claim claim loss of memory syndrom, watch the spce. or even deaf.
Ooh!! yeah! oh!! yeah! Ooh!! yeah! in the end she’ll forget to breath or even woke up.
‘Mr. Banda says it is sad that Zambia still imports wheat when there are more than 80,000 metric tonnes of the commodity in the country.’
Mr. President sir! even before you brought in that GMO maize early this year, the country had enough maize stocks scattered throughout the country. I hope you wont take us for granted next time. Let us support our local farmers.
Or She may end up with PHD, ( Permanet Head Damage)
Dora is so craft, she is just playing the same way the best footballers play .
She is as good as Ronaldinho and his Milan team-mates.
Signing a multi-million dollar MOU without reading it! Dora is either plain stupid, insane or both! Damn!
Am just concerned at the names she keeps revealing each day at this tribunal. Sure, muzamvela ati, “Former boxing champion Kabobola prevailed upon me to sign the fimo fimo, and said he would look after me”!
She will even mention your name ati Ba Moze was the one who persuaded me to sign them after we went for dinner…Lol
No wonder she could not understand the MOU being a nullity, she didn’t read it!
But she is a journalist, are the claims genuine? lets watch and see.
This is just but a tip of the iceberg, there are so many Doras hybernating in this cabinet of Kamuzu Banda. George Kunda being one such. Remember how he defended her while knowing only too well what we all now know. Maybe he was promised a cut. Anyway, the stupidity of Dora is scary, she should go back to reading News at 9. Next time she will sign the whole entire country away by not reading the MOU. I also suspect she a latent functional illiterate because such behaviour in synonymous with illiteracy.
We are learning new words every day 1. Nullity 2. MOU 3. Kombe 3. Mwanamuke 4. Maureen.
Mambwe…
This looks like a merry-go-round circus. Watch it soon stop at Dingani Banda my brother who slayed me. Pay back time little brother.
Its so embarasing for the minister to sign in a document without reading it.even pretending not knowing the meaning of nullity.shame Dora siliya.dont wate time talking such nosense.vomela chambe,nkani yalula.
So it means imports for wheat is cheaper than buying it locally? Then we have a Problem that we can not solve LOL
Seriously this shows that there is money in Zambia and people still prefer overseas products. But one still wonders if the importation is freely exercised or if it is an impact of the strings attached to most donations.
Hi Boss,
How is Berlin,
Its not just wheat the other stuff as well. Pipo are so into imported goods. Shame.
Hallo Ba Honey,
I am in Cologne City but the government being in Berlin and running the Country so well, I can say Berlin is fine.
Dora is so inteligent.Now i get what RB ment! She’s so wise in acting damn
The thread is about wheat production in Mkushi, though the postings seem to hinge on Hon Siliya how is it.? It is good to note we can produce enough wheat on the Zambian soil and knowing how us Zambians, love bread, fritters , burgers , rolls , cream doughnuts , banns, etc hunger can indeed be abated. The begging question is, is the current Minister of Agriculture and cooperatives the right one for that portfolio? Remember it took a Joseph to salvage Egypt from seven years of starvation ….. any thoughts ?
YymyjR comment4 ,