GOVERNMENT has continued to receive maize export orders from neighbouring countries with over 80,000 metric tonnes already exported to Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and World Food Programme have expressed interest in importing maize from Zambia, which produced over 2.53 million in 2012/13.
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Robert Sichinga said over 14,000 tonnes have been exported to Zimbabwe, which requires 150,000tonnes of maize while 60,000 tonnes were distributed to Tanzania.
“We also had a requirement from Malawi with 130,000 tonnes, which we expect to export in December. World Food Programme had a requirement of 100,000 metric tonnes as well,” he said.
Mr Sichinga said in an interview on Wednesday in Kabwe.
Burundi has requested 40,000 metric tonnes while the requirement for DRC, which he did not disclose, has also been exported.
Government is exporting the commodity as there is need to clear stocks produced last year and create space for this year’s new crop.
“Instead of exporting individually, we would not know how much has gone outside the country. In order for us not to prejudice our own food security, we only needed to export the excess that we did not need,” he said.
He said currently, the country is consuming a monthly allocation of about 100,000 tonnes (1.2 million tonnes annually).
“In the situation where we have produced maize, we want to make sure that what is purchased by various firms that are producing mealie-meal together with strategic stock at least we have 1.2 million metric tonne plus 500,000 metric tonnes of maize which is a fall-back,” he said.
Meanwhile, Government has so far purchased 417,000 metric tonnes through the Food Reserve Agency out of the 500,000 tonnes earmarked for the programme.
He said Government will soon complete buying the remaining quantity.
Help me understand. I thought in some parts of our country people are going hungry due to the failed crop in consequence of things like army worms and inadequate rainfall, and now we are exporting before we satisfy our people? What’s the logic?
Do not believe everything you read mate! Some people have bad intentions and others bad!
The produced Maize in excess of 2.53million tones. Our national requirement is 1.5 million and therefore the logic thing to do is to export the excess maize stocks to create space in our storage facilities. And remember that the maize stocks from last year’s harvest of 3million tone is still there in some areas and silos.
The only problem I would have is if this government is selling the maize at a give away prices like the MMD government did.
Ok
We just head in chilundu people are feeding on wild fruits and are being attacked by elephants, now someone is proudly saying we are exporting 80,000 mt. Feed our people first.
We can even do better than that and become the food basket for Africa as Zambia is endowed with arable land and lots of water. Lets also improve our storage facilities as lots of maize go to waste every year, especially during the rain season. Lets of not hear of those stories this time around. People starve and yet we let maize go to waste like that.
Confused!
The distance between the nose and the upper lip of mr sichinga is too long.
Bwana sichinga Govt to Govt deals no local company or Zambian citizen is benefiting in short you are starving all those Zambian companies and individuals that depended on maize exports.Mr Mugabe would not starve his entrepreneurs to please Mr sata,instead he would make sure that he fully empowers his citizens to take advantage of this rare export chance to ensure more money in their pockets ,When are we going to stop pleasing other countries at the expense of our very poor Zambian citizens.Kaunda set a bad precedence of others first,,,forcing a meeting this month to provide to this Govt modalities of ensuring good harvests translate into more money in every bodies pocket. I hope Govt gives me a chance, i am a consultant in regional logistics and an expert at agric commodity movement.
More money in pipos pockets will never come because watever realised frm maize goes to pf induced by elections which it begins to lose like water in a basket! Next HH will be in Luapula to drum up support there.
So the Bwali is still the staple food? How about eating other carbs like potatoes, rice and pasta?