President Edgar Lungu has said that Government intends to make the Food Reserves Agency (FRA) a procurement agency that will be able to supply maize to other countries, adding that this will enable the country earn foreign exchange through export of maize.
The Head of State said that the mandate for the FRA will change from that of buying maize for national reserve to that of buying maize for export. The President said this when he addressed a public meeting in Isoka.
The President also said that he is confident that the E-voucher system has started performing well following challenges in the initial stages. The President LUNGU that said government plans to re-stock livestock in Isoka because it has potential.
He said it is important for Zambians to take advantage of natural resources available and intensify agriculture production. The Head of State said government will ensure that it fulfils its campaign promises through hard work.
Meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu has called for prayers for people who have failed to accept that he legally won the August 11 General elections last year.
The President said that the opposition who lost the election should accept defeat and work with government in developing the country.
President Lungu has therefore urged Zambians to ignore those who are living in denial and remain peaceful because he was unanimously elected as Head of State.
President Lungu urged Isoka residents to remain calm and ignore any provocative comments from the opposition.
President Lungu added that government will also ensure that it supplies food to areas that have experienced food deficit such as Luangwa.
And the President has called on Isoka Member of Parliament Malozo Sichone to explain to the people of Isoka what Government is doing to improve their well-being.
The President also said government will not spare any one found illegally harvesting the Mukula tree.
And PF Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri says Muchinga Province has shown commitment to supporting the PF as shown in the last elections
Ms Phiri said it is surprising that despite a legal office swearing in the President the opposition UPND still claims that the country has no President.
Great Idea.
This is President is thinking of us all.
We commend him for such a strategic worldwide foresight.
On wards and upwards
I believe him, like all of you.
Thanks
BB2014.16
Let us Give Lungu a chance and MOVE ON.
1) By not moving on , You’re missing out on expanding your horizons.
2) You might end up being surprised.
3) If you can’t , chances are you were in a bad mood when you decided to give up on him, how about thinking twice?
4) Chances are It was jealousy that led you to reject Mr Lungu in the first place.
5) You might have been influences by a lot of UNLEARNED masses here on LT It was their negative intention that led you to reject the our God given President
6) For Health reasons You are putting yourself at risk if you don’t.
I have an MBA, Msc, Bsc Applied Accounting, BA, FCCA and FCMA and completing my PhD soon
Thanks
BB2014,16
Mushota You just continue jerking off your white man with your fake papers.
This idea be welcomed by us all. It is a bright except we should have stiff controls in place so that we don’t over export. Let’s learn to appreciate one another. ECL keep on bringing such ideas.
HH heartbreak. Is he still trying to manipulate Kanyama residents?
Government has no business getting actively involved in business. Just create an enabling environment for farmers to export their own maize. Why is Lungu very insistent on maintaining a fake maize export ban but at the same time only allowing Dora and her useless man to export maize to the region? When will our farmers start earning real money from their efforts? The BRITISH High Commissioner to Zambia Fergus Cochrane recently advised the government to allow commercial farmers to export maize to Zambia’s neighbouring countries if the nation records a bumper harvest in the 2016/2017 farming season.
Mushota has been compromised, I wonder how it your integrity cost. 25 pieces?Suddenly you are full of praise for Lungu
Not sure how it will work. In a market economy, Government will have the monopoly to export maize and farmers will be criminalized if they attempt to export?
Lungu’s dullness is amazing. They sit drinking Jameson and there some drunkard suggests, “inga twai panga fye exporting agency FRA?” Ikali iyo bakamba yala umfwika bwino mu media. And your dull presidents comes to the press with this supposedly brilliant idea after a drinking spree.
Sorry Zambia. You don’t deserve this mediocrity.
You also want to join your relatives Kachakolwa and Dola, stealing through these maize deals? Remember how miserable Chiluba became under Mwanawasa when his thefts were brought before courts.
May the Lungu administration get in overdrive on this policy while consolidating internal food security. You will see more of our energy and investment in Agriculture with mechanized farming.
Good move,
Let the private dealers compete with FRA.
Let FRA be empowered.
Leave export business in private hands. Allow youths to start this business. Today they are being called names of smuggler but instead allow them to trade freely. FRA has a purpose to buy from farmers for nation consumption. Govt run institution can not run businesses. We had UBZ, Zambia Airways, ZAMBIA RAILWAYS, zamtel all failed or are failing.
Alternatively allow cooperatives to strengthen by allowing them to (process) and export maize to maize deficient countries. This way farmers will get the benefit of their labour and not some middle man (FRA)
@Mushota, What is great about this nonsense. Forex from maize? let him just say he wants Dora to make a s much as she can. if they have a vision?? FRA should export commodities like vegetables and other farm produce. why do they only concentration on Maize? see what Kenya has done, they are the major exporter of food to Middle east and Eastern Europe. Their Food Bureau Buys directly from farmers with initiatives to help the poor??
With Zambia FRA are thieves who steal from the poor and make corrupt ministers rich. its a shame.
PLEASE, DO NOT EXPORT MAIZE. EXPORT PROCESSED AND PREPACKED MAIZE INTO MEALIE MEAL, PROCESSED RICE, PROCESSED CASSAVA, SORGHUM, MILLET, BRAN, WHEAT, ETC. ADD VALUE TO THESE THINGS. EXPORTING RAW MAIZE IS JUST LIKE EXPORTING RAW COPPER. YOU ARE SIMPLY EXPORTING JOBS AND THIS IS NO ROCKET SCIENCE. I KEEP SAYING THIS- CONSTRUCT ABOUT FOUR STATE-OF-THE-ART MILLING PLANTS THAT CAN PROCESS ALL KNOWN ABOVE MENTIONED GRAIN INTO FINISHED PRODUCTS SUCH AS RICE, MEALIE MEAL, FLOUR, AND OTHER MEALS IN STRATEGIC SMUGGLING TOWNS. THESE PLANTS SHOULD SERVE PRIMARILY FOR EXPORT OF PROCESSED TYPES OF GRAINS TO DR CONGO, ZIMBABWE, MALAWI AND ACROSS LAKE TANGANYIKA. THIS IDEA WILL CREATE MILLIONS OF JOBS IN THE CONTEXT OF FARMING, ENGINEERING (PLANTS MAINTENANCE), SUPPLIERS AND OTHER INDIRECT JOBS AND…
…THIS IDEA WILL CREATE MILLIONS OF JOBS IN THE CONTEXT OF FARMING, ENGINEERING (PLANTS MAINTENANCE), SUPPLIERS AND OTHER INDIRECT JOBS AND BUSINESS CREATIONS. IT SEEMS LIKE WE CAN’T LEARN IN ZAMBIA. ESTABLISHING THESE MILLING PLANTS MAINLY FOR EXPORTING GRAIN FINISHED PRODUCTS WILL OF COURSE, INITIALLY, BE COSTLY. BUT, THE BEEFITS ARE IMMEDIATE AND COUNTLESS/NUMEROUS IN A VERY SHORT TIME. TOWNS FOR THESE MILLING PLANTS WOULD BE 1MPULUNGU (FOR DRCONGO AND RWANDA BURUNDI, TANZANIA), 2 CHIPATA (FOR MALAWI AND MOZAMBIQUE), 3 MANSA OR NCHELENGE (FOR DRCONGO), 4 SOLWEZI (FOR CONGO AND ANGOLA. SMUGGLING MEANS GREAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY WHICH CAN SILENTLY BE DEFEATED BY THE METHOD ABOVE.
if zambia practices FREE MARKET policies,then pf govt should allow us farmers export our maize too,by so doing we farmers will earn forex and expand our fields and employ the locals who will have enough funds to get out of the curse of poverty.Failure to do that means lungu is a MAFIA.
OnlyLazy, Dora and her lover will get rich from such a scheme exporting maize to DRC…
“he was unanimously elected” !!!!
Obviously this dull Lungu does not know what the word UNANIMOUS means!
Can someone please give this dull fake “lawyer” a dictionary?
Theft reborn from roads to Maize since it’s about harvest time. The blind will always be scammed. Sad!
Duno,
The word unanimous according to the dictionary mean “(of two or more people) fully in agreement.
(of an opinion, decision, or vote) held or carried by everyone involved.” So go back to school and learn how to research.
This man has no shame even with the maizegate which he has ducked away…FRA can only export surplus maize and with late supply farming inputs this season you can forget about it.
The Lazy Canister says he is on a “working” holiday but all he is doing is having rallies and waving the PF symbol…this bum is clearly not fit to be a Head of State.
Zambian should have done this long time ago. Especially the time that White farmers ran away from Mugabe. Too late but still a good idea.
FRA is rotten…you can not talk about such schemes without admitting that FRA is a failed corrupt organisation…PF is too corrupt to oversee such a scheme. He can not say such things when he is in the city only to villagers who are ill informed.
The problem I have with Lungu is too much rhetoric without substance. Lets first look at 2016 farming season. FRA was only able to buy 200,000 metric tonnes out of the planned national strategic reserves of 500,000. The failure to buy the difference of 300,000 was mainly due to price and lack of funds. With the coming in of IMF and the already passed budget, which only provides for strategic reserves of 500,000, its another dream that FRA will be turned into a grain exporter than a strategic reserve organ. Anyway dreams are free to the dreamer costly to those listening. Dream on Chagwa!
Here is Lazy who wanted to get a 5 year mandate..Lazy gets elected and all Lazy does is go on “working” holidays here and there..here Lazy is addressing school kids…surely if those children knew that they will not have busaries like he did i dont think they would be pleased to see him.
What is a working tour? Holding rallies and telling people same old stories and lies?
Working tour is basically campaigning …these guys are good at campaigning as its all talk the problem is that they don’t know what to do when they win; Lazy is a perfect example!!
The Malawi Maize Gate was luctrative to Lungu and Dora Siliti hence Lungu is looking for another Bonanza from the 201/17 crop. Why does the State involve itself in the export of maize? Why cant the Private Sector be left to export the maize? Lungu is looking spin some more money for himself this year.This man is in govt illegally just to enrich himself.
I’ve stopped counting how many times HE E Lungu has appealed for people to accept his victory. The last time I heard n commented on this matter I said I’ve joined the President in doubting his victory. He is not sure himself that he won and how does he convince others. The more he talks about it the more I’m convinced he didn’t win. MAYBE THE PRESIDENTIAL PETITION SHUD BE HEARD IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PRESIDENT EL
Does Zambia 1 understand what FRA stands for? FOOD RESERVES! Strategic Reserves like Joseph did in Egypt. Egypt had enough reserves for 7 years. It should never be the job of GRZ to police the export of anything! GRZ should have no business in business! Let market forces help the farmers to earn decent returns on their investment! GRZ job is governance and creating an enabling business environment for the private sector to thrive! GRZ continued interference in business matters has killed the private sector! I won’t grow maize again! Waste of time!
Stop offloading your theories here. Talk about real examples, in the Bible we hear of Manna do we have it nowadays? FRA was instituted by Zambians, it can also be changed at anytime. Why should we be so rigid? That is why is Africa is so poor because of cowards like yourself who fear change, new ideas etc. Let’s embrace change and move forward, if this idea fails us then we shall change.
I AGREE WITH THE REAL QUEST. HOW CAN A FOOD RESERVE START EXPORTING THE MAIZE? WHAT ABOUT RESERVES FOR THE COUNTRY? HOW WILL THIS WORK? THEN WE WILL HAVE TO GET DONAR YELLOW MAIZE FROM AMERICA. HONESTLY PEOPLE THINK STRONGLY ON THIS.
Governments everywhere, will and do ban exports of commodities. Biblical Egypt and not private Egyptians wass in charge of the sale of the food that had been stored. The USA just recently lifted a ban on the export of oil gas. The ban was in place for 40 years.
You’re gonna export maize yet we have shortage of food? And then we import tomatoes and fruits to stock Shoprite yet the same land can be used to grow these produce more cheaply?
That is too much work for Lazy growing tomatoes, green beans, edible oils for export as there is no money for him and his clowns to steal in haulage contracts, contracts to procure and distribute fertilizers. He would rather fly to Israel with his whole cabinet and beg them to come and do the work!!
FRA has been exporting before during the time of levy and and Rb tenure..ask transporters who have been loading from there plant former Lintco yard.What could have happened then?they must have faced some problems down the line.
Its a logical conclusion. We do better exporting our ‘hot in demand,’ Maize than eat the stuff locally. Maize is proving to be as valuable as our copper for exports! Sell, Sell! Zambians stop eating the stuff. Try Kanta’s pasta dishes!
Best President ever! Never mind our juvenile opposition friends. They know deep down President Lungu is ‘The Boss around here!’
THAT IS WHY I ONLY GROW MAIZE TO FEED MY CATTLE. UNIP IS BACK TO MAKE A LOT SMALL SCALE BUSINESSES DEALING IN MAIZE BANKRUPT. PLEASE LUNGU USE ZNS AND ARMY TO GROW MAIZE THAT YOU WILL BE EXPORTING. MAIZE GROWN BY OTHER FARMERS SHOULD BE EXPORTED BY INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES. LUNGU YOU ARE GOING TO ‘KILL’ MAIZE FARMING. MARK MY WORDS. WHENEVER YOU SEE THE GOVERNMENT POPPING THEIR NOSES YOU CAN SMELL EASY MONEY.
And you think the millers will simply seat there and watch FRA and Lazy make money whilst they grind maize and sale with a small markup to you when they can make 200% selling to DRC and Malawi…Lazy does not know what he is talking about!!
Good idea, Now Dora won’t make deals anymore.
Increase productivity, farming efficiency. Make a way for farmers cooperatives to lease farm equipment. We can do more if we are interested. No need for foreign help on this, we have what it takes. Let’s set our priorities right.
Yes so that you can start stealing like you did in the malawi maize saga. That forex will be abused just like the way zesco money is abused by every government. Why do you always talk about the opposition not recognising you? We know you stole the election victory. Enjoy your stolen goods because soon or later your time of reckoning will soon come. Promises, promises, promises and more promises. Talk, talk, talk and more talking
With Illegitimate Lungu at the helm u will see a move from Malawi MaizeGate to FRA ExportGate. Lungu will be the main Actor with Dora Siliti doing the Business Broking. More money to the Lungu syndicate.
Sorry to ask, is Lungu really Normal? FRA stands for what exactly?
ECL is indeed working.well done PF Govnt on this move.please allow FRA to start exporting Maize because the demand for maize abroad is very very high.this move will surely add value to our economy!!BRAVO ECL AND PLEASE NEVER LISTEN TO GOOD FOR NOTHING LOCAL OPPOSITION PARTIES.
Exporting maize to earn foreign sound like a bad jokeexchange! Shame on ignorance of even basic knowledge.
Zambia produces maize at a cost about 2 times the world market prices. Only during famine in those countries can anyone think of such expensive maize
Production efficiency is so low in Zambia
Maize is produced in Zambia with a heavy subsidy.
In ten years, Zambia only has surplus in 2 years! What will FRA be exporting the other years?
check your data bwana, in 10 years what?
Just concentrate on making the commodity cheap for Zambians.
Mealie meal prices like this and you talk about export for “forex”??? I suppose money grows on trees at State House
This man keeps on talking about elections that he claims that he won, but why all the time talking about elections that you surely know that you won. Your conscience will always keep on hurting you because you know that you never won the elections shame EL.
Firstly, I would implore serious minded bloggers who have the future of Zambia at heart, to ignore the incoherent rantings of the likes of Mushota, Nubian ‘Princess’, peace for Zambia, etc. Secondly, in one breath, we have the President stating a new role for the FRA and asking for prayers for those that have not recognised him as President.
1) Why does Lungu have his hands in all the troughs? Has he consulted the Agriculture ‘experts’ in coming up with this ‘policy’ decision? To me, this a clear case of haphazard, knee jerk and populist rule.
2) Would a serious intelligent leader ask for prayers for those who haven’t recognised him? Doesn’t he know people have a right of political preference? You shouldn’t punish those who prefer other leaders. Nowhere in the world do all…
… citizens accept the one in power. Lungu is not omnipotent. He is a servant to all, regardless of political choice. Demanding recognition in this manner is the initial recipe for dictatorship.
Have any of the apologists for the PF government wondered why Lungu has not had proper state of the nation addresses or press conferences? – where questions are allowed by all and sundry as to where the nation is and where its going policy wise? Are their any coherent policies?
Firstly, if you were president, Muna, do you think you would consult cadres on national policy or you would have all those agric. (or relevant) experts at your disposal?? You are the president for crying out loud?? You need to THINK before you post some of these things, Muna!! The problem with you people from you-know-where are praying daily for ECL to fail so he can one day resign and call hh to take over-IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. Secondly, yes the the upnd mps need prayer as they are lost and making decisions that are compromising their standing as mps due to bad leadership (hh and gbm). A wise leader directs his followers to God!! This is a good idea that needs our support for it to work, not binding everything ECL says with negative energy so it fails!!
For me this is disturbing if the government can stomach this, addressing this kind of groups and think it’s ok.
To me, they look like their minors.
I agree with you Daniel. And the President is a university graduate, lawyer for that. He should know better. Addressing minors who should be learning instead of listening to his cheap 2021 vision!
Can someone remind ECL that its not time to campaign but to work on the promises he made last year!
I have Confidence in ECL.
This is not a good idea when will private sector strive, where have you seen government doing such a business? My take is that government should create an enabling business environment so that even the youths who are risking their lives trying to evade normal export procedures by moving at night and using zalewa could follow the lay down procedures, pay taxes and employ their fellow youths who do not have jobs. You can give examples, kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa etc. This decision will definitely kill already small private sector. Farmers will definitely stop growing due to the monopolistic tendencies with some semi government institutions
Good move! We need more exports than imports.
Why export maize and not mealie meal? Let the millers deal with this. Value addition is the way to go. Let us promote industries in Zambia as this will also create some jobs for citizens. Get forex from mealie meal exports and the by products thereof. Just my thought
@ Zambian citizen – Who said anything about consulting cadres? Lungu does flip-flop with statements that clearly suggest populism rather than thought out processes, let alone consultation. Is it a wonder that we often hear a minister say one thing while he says another? (a simple example is what went on over the issue of maize – when Lubinda was agricultural minister) And I DO THINK before I post, by the way. Lungu doesn’t. No one is praying for him to fail. He failed before he even assumed power and continues to fail to lead. You seem to think a President is a God. You are the kind who are not objective either because you feed from the same trough or do not understand the link between good governance and real development.
The president is a person like me but he is CEO of the country and i have to recognise that and respect him!! Not throw tantrums and talk cheap because i didn’t vote for him and wanted someone else to be president. He has brought up something new of which I am not a fortune-teller to immediately predict it will fail-how can the whole of the president announce something that he hasn’t consulted with the right experts of that particular field?? in an event Zambia produces 3.3m tons of maize, we consume about 1.3m tons but we can only store 1.2m tons leaving an excess of about 800k tons. This and any excess can be exported through legal channels not smuggled out-so this idea makes sense to me!! Mwanawasa and Magande did it before and ECL and his team know they can work from there and…
@Harold Muna that is why we rejected your ka god HH because of this know it all atitude you think His Excellency ECL didn’t consult the technocrats at the Ministr.y of Agriculture???. Only 3 provinces support HH the rest we are for ECL and we will ensure he wins again in 2021.Don’t think what is in your rotten head is what the majority of Zambians are thinking No!!
Your excellence before that reduce mealie meal prices first then exports can follow later olease hear us your own supporters.
@real quest you actually have a valid point. FRA was created to function as a Strategic Food(well really only maize) Agency. At that time the thinking was that this would help avert maize shortages and the infamous food riots each time the prices went up. Over time it became lucrative for the persons at the helm of the FRA to import maize under the guise of filling up the shortages. However if the plan now is to not only store maize but export there will need for a re-organization, to include out grower schemes, an alignment with the corporative, a semi revival of the National Grain Marketing Board, in essence massive self paying job creation….2012 Zamfo under new leadership
The idea is good, govt should be encouraged to do business as well as this will help in reducing the tax burdens on the formal sector, only problem is who benefits out of the proceeds? How much will be a bag of maize?
Let the farmers export themselves as the they will benefit alot rather than government buying from farmers at a cheaper price and sale at higher price.
What has changed now when the president was in Luangwa where he was eating mangoes said government will not buy or control prices this years but what has changed now?
PF for us
Let farmers sell their own produce
this will not work because its not you plans .you will not know how this can work. then the other thing do you need to ask the church or people to pray for your recoginition, instead of asking the courts of law to conclude the case in time so that these who do not reginise you should do so after your legal declaration has been made by the courts. dont disregard the petition.