The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has declared that Zambia has adequate food reserves to meet national consumption needs.
ZANIS reports that FAO Country Representative George Okech noted that despite some parts of the country receiving below normal rainfall FAO is optimistic that the country will harvest enough maize in the 2015/2016 farming season.
Mr Okech said that some parts of the country that received enough rain fall will harvest enough maize to compensate what has been lost in other regions.
The FAO Chief advised Zambians not to panic over the country’s food security.
Mr Okech said that according to FAO, Zambia’s food production and security is far much better than other countries in the region who are adversely hit by famine.
He stated that after the harvest, Zambia will be in a position to even feed neighboring countries that have received less or no rainfall.
I hope chi HH has heard this cow is an alarmist come August 11 we park him where he belongs. He is too divisive this man.
So what FAO is saying is that food is there but to just manage it so that the masses can access it is impossible for the PF government. Then what good are they if they can’t just manage available food to make it accessible to the masses? We don’t need such an incompetent government.
Where is HH the defender?
Its lack of comprehension of statements like this one that hurt this country. Last harvest season we produced enough maize but zayelo & his chakolwa exported all of the maize & left us with nothing. LT has skewered the FAO statement to suit their goal. Zayelo will export all this maize to pay alghurair & before we know it we will be back to zero.
Empty shelves don’t lie.
Ask the Millers about the Shortage of Mealie Meal. Maize is there and been given to them normally but they are holding on to the commodity so as to increase prices and frustrate govt efforts. You are Liars and u shall not succeed. We are Sharper than you think Ba Mbuzi imwe. Vote for Anybody else but DIVIDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DOES FAO HAS AN MAIZE FIELD OR FARM ANYWHERE IN ZAMBIA? ALL I KNOW IS THEY IMPLEMENT THAT FAILED PROJECT CALLED CASU AND TODATE, THEY DONT EVEN KNOW HOW MANY OF THEIR OWN FARMERS ARE ADOPTING CA AS FARMING MECHANISM, WHY CANT THEY JUST CONCENTRATE THINGS WORK ON THE GROUND THAN JUST PARADING CASU BILLBOARDS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO MISLEAD THE GENERAL POPULANCE
If I have read correctly, FAO is referring to the harvest starting August 2016 and not the previous harvest of 2014.
It is irresponsible for FAO to claim there is/will be enough maize in the country when Zambians can not access cheap mealie meal.
FAO is comparing Zambia to starving world nations as if we deserve that situation. FAO has not issued any statement on mealie meal shortages in Zambia. Therefore, FAO is without moral authority to claim there is enough maize in Zambia. Projections on which they base their claim has been overtaken by events in the distribution of rain patten. Areas that received rains were without farming inputs due to PF inercia. FAO has never at any given time prompted PF government to provide farming inputs to areas with good rain fall.
We take it FAO is merely posturing to political tunes of PF government.
Total dullness. FAO are simply confirming the availability of enough stock of maize in the country. High prices of mealie meal shd be directed towards millers. No wonder the caring president has seen it worthy passing control SI for the commodity to make it cheaper for lazy people like you… Please spare us from unfounded hallucinations.
Iwe kapuli, lack of cheap meali meal is NOT, and I repeat NOT, due to lack or shortage of maize grain. Gosh, for how long are you people going to keep telling this lie hoping it will stick?
Over and over, various entities, domestic and foreign have told you that there is enough maize to sustain everybody in the country. The problem has been GREEDY CROOKS like your UPND vice president, GBM (who was even boasting about this in a recorded phone conversation with Tayali) exporting or hoarding the commodity (maize/meal) and, therefore, causing price spikes and artificial shortages in the process. That’s where the problem lies, NOT BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MAIZE TO GO AROUND. God have mercy!!!!!
ifintu fyabwela umutengo kuno. More mobile shops
Well said FAO – Good report
This statement by FAO if true is regrateble. So many questions arise. Why then do we have mealie meal shortages? Why is mealiemeal expensive when we have plenty in stock as observed by FAO? This is not adding up at all. Note that a few places that had enough rain are not predominantly agricultural oriented areas save for tute, kasava and fishing and will not manage to compansate other areas. Rain came yes but found no seriouse farming in these areas. What is FAO talking about?
@ Sibitwane please refer to @Yambayamba’s detailed explanation. You just want ukulefya ilyashi when a reason as to why the commodity is fetching at high prices has been rightly been put. If you dont have anything to contribute look at other issues that are arising maybe you will contribute constractively. Lord have mercy indeed!
Well Done Ecl, Another Bumper Harvest En This Alarmist HH must be ashamed of himself peddling in lies all the time but ecl is ten steps ahead of him.