Government has supplied over 400 metric tonnes of subsidised maize to solar milling plants which are under the presidential initiative programme in Northern Province.
Northern Province Cooperatives and Marketing Union Manager, Daniel Mulenga, told ZANIS in an interview today that the union is in receipt of 427 metric tonnes of maize to be supplied in all solar powered milling plants that are already operational in the region.
He said the production of cheaper mealie-meal has since commenced in the province.
Mr Mulenga added that the cheap commodity will by tomorrow start being offloaded on the local market.
And he has since advised Kasama residents to start accessing the mealie-meal at NCU market.
He explained that the solar milling plant had earlier become slow in the production of the commodity due to shortage of the raw material.
However, the union leader said with the Government directive to start supplying FRA maize to small milling plants, there will be consistent production of the commodity in the area.
Mr. Mulenga observed that the move by Government will enable solar milling plants compete favourably on the local market.
He said so far 40 solar-powered hummer mills have been erected in Kasama district, adding that 30 of them are already operational.
Where did government find money to import this maize so fast and from which country? I don’t understand politics, maybe ba Daniel Munkombwe can shade some light.
May this deed be done to all affected districts so that this government can prove that there’s still lots of maize stock in reserves.
ONE THING THAT AMAZES ME IN OUR COUNTRY IS THE WAY ALL ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENTS REACT TO MAIZE OR CORN SMUGGLING. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN REACTING IN ONE SIMILAR- SEALING THE BORDERS TO CURB SMUGGLING. THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESS IN GRAIN WITH NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES. BUT, AS AN EVIL. PLEASE, CAN THIS GOVERNMENT CHANGE IT’S MIND-SET ON THIS AND START SEEING THIS SMUGGLING AS A VERY BIG OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPORTING ALL SORTS OF GRAIN TO SURROUNDING COUNTRIES AND BEYOND. ZAMBIA SHALL BE AT A BIG LOSS WHEN THESE COUNTRIES SOLVE THEIR AGRICULTURAL PROBLEMS AND HENCE, THEIR FOOD SECURITY PROBLEMS. BECAUSE, THERE WILL BE NO NEED TO IMPORT FROM ULTRA POMPOUS, ZAMBIA.
Mwana wesu, People who suffer are the peasant farmers and commercial farmers have no problem. Zambia is a liberalized country and why should they force me to sale my own maize which I produced and then government fix a price for me when I labored to work for it for the entire year? This is unfair. Let the people sale what they have and if you the government are hungry, remember that you boasted that you had bumper harvest why complaining?
from @3. HERE IS MY HUMBLE ADVICE TO THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT: 1 In the next development plan (infrastructure), please, include the construction of all-grain silos in all border towns (Mpulungu, Chembe, Chililabombwe, Shangombo, Sesheke, Livingstone (or Kariba), Chipata, Mwenzo and Ncheleng); 2 Construct state-of-the-art milling plants in the mentioned towns to add value to all grains before exporting; 3 mobilize a farming drive that has never been seen before in Zambia; 4 Construct modern cargo and passenger harbours on lakes: Mpulungu and Mweru (not Mweru Wantipa for this case) for the sake of cheap water transport exports to the DR Congo, Tanzania and Burundi (and beyond). Other border Grain Exporting Towns can use a combination of rail and road transport (and water if possible).
Now that maize has been sent to Kasama can we have the warped PF strategy accuse HH of sending the maize there and erecting solar plants.
…from @4 GREAT BENEFITS:
1INFRASTRUCTURE-Zambia would have developed the grain storage infrastructure for storage, milling and exportation of value-added grains (millets, sorghum, rice, wheat maize and many more). 2 Farming of all grains would have been fortified in Zambia- again infrastructure for graineries, 3 JOBS-Direct and indirect massive job creations including innovative ways of doing things, 4 EXPORTING TOWNS-Accelerated growth of exporting towns and triggering even other food processing industries for export and local consumption, 5 CHEAP FOOD-Export as well as local foods prices very law, 6 PRE EMPTYING- No any seriously economically minded country would wish to start embarking upon developing a similar Agricultural and Food Production/Storage/Processing similar to Zambia’s…
…from @4. Agricultural and Food Production/Storage/Processing similar to Zambia’s if those countries can import highly affordable finished food products from Zambia. They would rather embark upon other ventures, 7 TOURISM-All the above border towns (though neglected by govts) are seriously, potential tourists towns. The initial Food Processing (even manufacturing) for humans and stoke and their growth rate will render these towns worth not only visiting (but living in, too) by local and international visitors and hence more tourism industry jobs creation.
KWACHA STRENGTH- I did not want to talk about the strengthening of the Kwacha in the presence of the above conditions because it is automatic for a currency to strength.
…the above is @5 (not @4)
THE LOSSES OF DELAYING IMPLEMENTATIONS: We must inform ourselves that our neighbouring countries are in serious food security problems and as such looking for solutions just like us. So, the first country to crack this problem will win all while ifwe tucili tule ungwa ungwa fye. All the benefits above will go to that country. Zambia has wasted a lot of time since independence with no well defined proper direction, (serve for pf government). Even then PF next year MUST put their acts together in smelling the right coffee and implement these evil expenditure necessities. Zambia MUST implement these on double-quick-time before other countries, do.