opening of the first joint Pan-African Grain Legume and World Cowpea
Conference currently being held at AVANI Victoria Falls Hotel. Picture
by Jeffrey Oliver
AGRICULTURE Minister Given Lubinda says he is disappointed with some opposition leaders who are issuing unfounded and alarming statements on the country’s food security.
Mr Lubinda accused opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema of issuing false statements to the international media that Zambia was going to run into an acute food deficit.
“Zambia currently has 594,000 metric tonnes of maize in the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) reserves and that is more than enough food for the next six months or more,” Mr Lubinda said.
Mr Lubinda who assured the nation of enough staple food stocks urged members of the public to stop panic buying of mealie-meal.
He said President Lungu was misquoted by Mr Hichilema on the possible importation of maize as one of the alternatives.
Mr Lubinda explained that at no time did President Lungu say importing maize was a must but that it was just one of the three alternatives if things went to the worst situation that is most unlikely to happen.
He further castigated Mr Hichilema of lying that Zambia had exported maize at a cheaper price but was going to import the same commodity at a higher cost of almost double the amount.
On the issue of the four banned milling companies, Mr Lubinda said there was less if no impact they could pose on the production of mealie-meal to satisfy local demand.
“Even if we close 20 more milling companies, we won’t have a shortage of mealie-meal because we would still have enough millers to supply the country’s food demand,” he said.
He advised people to immediately stop buying more than five bags of mealie-meal per person as that caused unnecessary and artificial shortages in retail shops.
“How can you buy seven bags of mealie-meal for home consumption? This must be stopped because this is a politically-motivated move to create a wrong impression that there is a looming shortage of mealie-meal,” Mr Lubinda said.
The minister said the Government was working round the clock to ensure that whoever was involved in such activities was exposed.
On the smuggling of the commodity, Mr Lubinda said the ministry of Home Affairs was working hard to ensure that the vice was stopped.
Lubinda, We know Hichilema to be a desperate alarmist, why not ignore the fcukar? Forget the idiyot. you don’t have to comment on everything. This Lubinda-Lungu-HH maize story is becoming boring.
(HH) is nothing more than a pathetic weasel from the bushes. If the idiyot is making baseless statements why not just ignore him? Forget the minion, he’s not worth the news. He’s just a styupid blabber mouth like an Under-5 child with bubble gum in the mouth. The idiyot has nothing to offer the masses. No message but calamity and ill will. Can you believe the (HH) idyot is a father with children maybe they are not his. He behaves like an impotent animal
On the panel was the Minister of Agriculture, Zambia National Farmers Union President, FRA CEO, Zambia Millers Association and another organisation whose name I ve forgotten………..they all said we have enough maize stock as a country. One wonders why HH went to tell lies on BBC.
Why the shortage of meal meal? Explain the shortage if at all is normal. Don’t change the subject bwana Minister!
WE THANK OUR PRESIDENT HICHILEMA FOR PROVIDING THE MUCH NEEDED CHECKS AND BALANCES. THESE LOOTERS AND LIARS IN PF CAN GO OUT OF CONTROL WITH THEIR LOOTING. LUNGU AND HIS MINIONS ARE ALL PATHOLOGICAL LIARS. WE ARE KICKING YOU OUT OF OFFICE THIS AUGUST. VIVA HH VIVA! ZAMBIA FORWARD. CHANGE, HERE WE COME!
Icipuku chi kudos uli chipuba namano tawakwata. Atase just because you are feeding on pf’s stollen moneys is no reason ukutumpa, waumfwa we mbwawe.
After 11th August when HH becomes president, hopefully, Mealie Meal prices will be slashed, Load shedding will come to an end, Fuel prices will be reduced, dollar exchange rate will go down, Student meal allowances will be increased. All miners who were laid off will be re-instated. What a time to be alive.
The comment passed here is seriously the biggest problem the majority of our citizens face. Such is a very shallow way of thinking and poisonous to our countries development. Its as if we do not learn. What you are saying is exactly what sata used top say, and HH should not fall into the trap of passing such immature statements or promises. My take is we are either too naive to see what can be done and what not to be done in a 5-10-year term of office. The normal thing to happen now is electricity, fuel prices to go up, student allowances to be cut and replaced with a loan scheme which will increase the number of people that can be educated.
Its like he thinks there’s a switch in State House that he can just flick and voila. All politicians lie and HH is no exception.
William Tekere Banda
Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk, made my day. Welcome to Utopia
Kudos and PF cadres joke aside.It was Lungu last month who idmited that Zambia has a shortage of maize and that it will import maize from south Africa.Within a split of three days Lubinda says we have enough maize and now we have meal meal shortage.Who si telling lies?The same is with loadsheding now Kariba is full but loadsheding is continuing.PF is an organization of criminals masquerading as politicians.They have sold our maize to Zimbabwe(Mugabe) against the advice of inonge wina and HH.They are banking of early haverst to sort out the situation.HH has said that he has reliable information.If they are deputing let them open the FRA bans we see the maize then we shall believe.
Why doesn’t ichilema raise these issues through a democratic system through his MPs? Instead he utters nonsense outside parliament where he has no accountability. Another sign of dictatorial tendencies. It ha to come from him to make cheap political point. Cant stand the F.ucker.
LUNDU,
The Minister is the person who is misleading and confusing the nation. If HH made a statement, are you telling me that the Europeans came to buy our maize? I see no relationship between the statement and the shortage. Hon. Minister, stop this nonsense of bring HH into such a serious situation.
If Mwaliteta who is not a grade 12 can confess that this GOVT is in serious trouble, you must have seen this in a different way as an educated minister. Mwaliteta then must be better than you.
Honorable Lubinda, instead of all this incessant ranting against Mr Hichelema, ask yourself this: Why is it that people believe what he says, as you allege, rather than what you say. You are the minister, with all the data at your fingertips, one statement from you should have been enough put this to rest. Figure it out.
@Hawari, Lubinda is not educated he only speaks intelligently when in fact is a chikopo.He only poses a humble diploma in Agri Business from NRDC.Finish.
Because that’s what they want to hear!
@Kudos
Obvously by now almost every sane blogger here on L.T knows that you are just a place holder, it’s either you’re not in Zambia to see what’s happening or you’re directly benefiting from these ministers in PF that tell their youths to spread violence & hate speech.
It’s the same mind you have that some Zimbabweans have, amidst all the chaos in their country, they still want Mugabe to be their life president.
Spark Jarrow my advice to Lubinda is to focus on the people instead of exchanging the same argument with a misinformed Under-5, inexperienced president of a regional party. You and your ethnic region can vote for your proud, elitist goat (HH) and I’ll vote where Zambia is voting. Come back on August 14 and we can continue analysing the economy.
@Kudos,
I’m Arab-Zambian by the way, my father is Iranian & my mother is bemba. This is about intellect & not tribe. What has Edgar done for Zambia for him to be given another 5 years?
Infrastructure including hospitals is so enticing even when there is no medicine in those institutions because it’s normal/global
Almost everything is being implemented on borrowed money, they will do everything to turn Zambia into Singapore on borrowed money because it’s normal & important, they don’t care about future implications because external debt & internal is manageable, so they say. We have citizens like Kalima who has advised government to stop borrowing, have they?
@ Spark Jarrow
How on Earth you can explain empty skull that good governance goes beyond half baked statements and populist slogans?
The stark reality is there for all to see. Malnutrition, poverty, destitution, collapse of the rule of law, thuggery and unemployment are not symptoms of development. Instead they are symptoms of moral, economical and democratic failure of the past four years.
We are on the right track with infrastructure development, even if it has come at a heavy cost. There’s not a single country in the world with its own money. The worlds largest economy, owes the chinese billions of dollars in debt. It’s what you use it for that matters. If by some unfortunate chance, Hakainde were to enter state house, you think he will build industries from his cow dang money? No. He will borrow just like everyone else. It’s global. Don’t be cheated. Hakainde can even auction the country including the house you live in.
Kudos,
Ask PF if the starving makes can eat infrastructure.
Perpetual loser HH is wishing the country bad omen in all sectors to adjust his political ladder. This will remain a wishful thinking until we locate him back to his political graveyard , where he rightly deserves on 11th August.
Comment:The outgoing Agriculture minister should be truthful. Food deficit is already being experienced in the country.
If I remember well it was Lungu who started to this story of importing maize from south America.
some blogs make me wonder really….. rather sad maybe a better statement.
how can you compromise a political statement saying we have enough maize and the reality of people queuing for mealie meal? Rationing, queuing and high prices of the stable food is in self a sign of shortage. Why not accept the truth and act to reverse the trend? why this self deception and denial?
I would rather believe HH than lubinda. Even patriot abroad, kudos, reality check, Lundu would believe HH if they were in Zambia unless the want to starve to death. Bo lubinda you can never have enough of anything and that’s a reality, because in this world there are many unforeseen circumstances. The small circumstance of shortages right now just proved your point wrong. Your guys have become liars no wonder you are failing to acquire more loans
Fuel shortages, cholera outbreaks, meal shortages, loadsheding, unaffordable prices, job loses and finally as a goodbye present being delivered back to IMF.
Thanks PF.
PF marabish bati.everyday maboza bati.Ati no the kwacha performance is because of global,even loadsheding they blame God ati mulungu sanagwese mvula yambili,when have bought gonga generators.Now there is no meal meal they want acuse HH ati he is smuggling meal meal.No ARVs in hospitals and cholera every were ati we have massive infrastructure development what is important proper toilets or roads.what is important eating good food and having proper medicine or roads.Can a norml parent stop children from going to school ati iam building a house.or don’t go to clinic because iam building a house I have no money because of loans.
PF kuyabele,we tired with these un educated ministers and a ka weak spineless president.This is the worst government ever to rule Zambia.Zambian have chosen Hh and we shall make sure he is president in order to sort out serious economic hardships which will before Zambia soon.All Zambians natumane akapi and dump Pf in a dust bin and liberate our selves.
Kikikikikikikkloko kokoliliko! Media voting. My foot. Do people understand Zambian politics and how one can possibly become a national president?
Good day fellow Zambians
People have already decided and settled for ECL to continues with outright win of 50% plus 1… VIVA PF
hh WHICH PEOPLE EXACTLY? STOP DREAMING EVEN THE MARKETEERS YOU ARE GIVING LOANS TO ARE FED UP WITH PF. SO GET REAL MAN BECAUSE THIS TIME AROUND NO MATTER HOW YOU TRY TO RIG WE L STILL BEAT PF.
Bane PF is on, on. Keep on dreaming. We the PF are on the ground in other areas, the people dont know what is UPND ! Dream On. I will be laughing on 13-14 August all the way to Statehouse escorting EDGAR!!
YOU MEAN ESCORTING HIM OUT OF STATE HOUSE AND LOOKING AT WHAT YOU CAN LOOT ON YOUR WAY OUT? LOL
From Cretin to Weasal- Kudos really cracks me. I wonder what will happen if Kudos and NEZ were to meet face to face. lol….Cretin benefits the UPND Leader
Bo Lubinda, come to Kitwe and see for yourself that there is a shortage of mealie meal…! Just this morning I started from Wusakili looking for the staple and managed to find it at Parklands. Now imagine somebody from Chamboli, how much will it cost them to get a 25kg bag from Parkalnds? Let us be serious!
BO LUBINDA, IF H H IS LYING WHY HAS THE GOVERNMENT SEND ZNS TO ALL BORDERS TO STOP MAIZE AND MEALIE MEAL GOING OUT OF THE COUNTRY? WE ARE WATCHING YOU.