Mwinilunga District Chamber of Commerce President Chrispin Maseka says the decision by government to lift the suspension on export of maize grain and mealie meal is a step in the right direction.
Mr Maseka says the lifting of the ban on maize exports is one thing farmers, millers and traders in the district have been advocating for as it will improve commerce and encourage farmers to produce more.
Speaking to the media in interview in Mwinilunga today, Mr Maseka said farmers in the district have a geographical advantage to markets in neighboring DRC and Angola which are approximately only 200Km away.
He said with the export ban lifted, farmers will not have to experience waiting longer before they could get their money after supplying their produce to the Food Reserve Agency due to technical procedures.
“The cry has been that FRA only buying maize and as FRA is still looking for money farmers have to wait longer before they can get their money, and for us millers and farmers we will now export directly” he said.
Mr Maseka has however appealed to government to put in place cost effective ways in which farmers could get their export permits, further assuring that the district has adequate maize stock to cater for domestic consumption and exports.
And Speaking in a separate interview, Chief Chibwika said farmers in the district were happy with government’s decision to lift the ban on export of maize as they will now sell their produce at more attractive prices.
Chief Chibwika said with the yearning market for white maize in countries in the region, farmers in the chiefdom have the capacity to supply the commodity as they have adequate production of the commodity.
“So we really appreciate the fact that the republican President and the government of Zambia have chosen to lift the ban” he said.
The traditional leader has since called for investment in storage facilities which would allow farmers to secure their crops for a long time and sale it during peak demands and strategic reserves for local markets.
Earlier this month government announced the lifting of the ban on maize grain and mealie meal exports allowing farmers to export their maize produce to neighbouring countries freely.
