ZIMBABWE is negotiating with Zambia to import maize to meet that country’s 500,000 tonnes grain deficit, Zambia’s High Commissioner to Zimbabwe, Sipula Kabanje has said.
In an interview in Harare, Dr Kabanje said the two governments were negotiating through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) so that the once bread basket of the region, which has suffered economic turmoil in the last decade, could import maize from Zambia.
“Zambia today has a surplus but Zimbabwe has a deficit of 500,000 tonnes. We are coordinating with the FRA because they need to import maize to cover the deficit, and FRA is keen to export the surplus,” he said.
Dr Kabanje said Zimbabwe would not only need maize but was also looking to import other food products like cooking oil, wheat, meat and dairy products from Zambia.
He said Zambia should take advantage of the prevailing situation in Zimbabwe, where economic activities were recovering from years of economic downturn, and produce a lot of commodities for that market.
“Zimbabwe used to be Zambia’s biggest import source but now the situation is that Zimbabwe has to import a lot of commodities from Zambia.
“There are a lot of companies in Zimbabwe that want to import our wheat, rice, beans and other agricultural products for processing here while others want copper cathodes and other products from all sectors,” he said.
He said the Government, through the Zambia Development Agency, was trying to link more small and medium enterprises to the Zimbabwean market to supply the food requirements for the southern African country.
Zambia and Zimbabwe would also continue collaborating on infrastructure development, as was already demonstrated with the development of the Chirundu one-stop-shop border post.
I don’t mean to be sarcastic but Zimbabweans gave us a cold shoulder in the late 80’s and early 90’s when our economy was going through a rough patch. Zambians who used to cross the border to buy food stuffs were continuously mocked and harassed. This is a lesson to all, especially our neighboring countries that no situation is permanent.Today you might be in a good position., tomorrow its your neighbor. Let us be united as Africans and help each other. For the first time I recommend the Zambian government for this gesture!
Zambia on a path to be the new bread basket. Good News.
Zimbambwe do not worry our Beloved Presidentr was Born in Zim Zim so he will help you 1000000000% he cares about foreigners
#3 i am not sure whether he (the president) cares for foreigners or not but one thing he cares for his country men. RB was born in Zimbabwe and is a Zimbabwean.
#1 MS Pontiff, thanks for your objectivity on the Zambia’s bumper harvest. For the others, there is only one thing, hatred for RB no matter what the Government achieves for Zambia. You get to realise this when people say Mutati is an empty tin and then sing praises for Mr. Sata who really knows very little. There is just no comparison between Mr. sata and Mutati.