Minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya and Minister of Finance Felix Mutati are on a two days visit to Kenya to discuss agriculture trade.
This follows a meeting with the Zambia National Farmers Union and Grain Traders in Lusaka 2 weeks ago. The Government plans to facilitate the export of the excess 1.2 million metric tonnes from this years 3.6 million mt production.
Kenya is in need of 300 thousand mt of maize per month and also has shortages of Sugar, with Zambia Sugar supplying 40 thousand mt so far.
Last week a delegation from the East Africa grain traders association visited Zambia on a fact finding mission and met with Ministries of Agriculture and Finance as well as the private sector in Zambia.
The business delegation expressed concern at the slow pace experienced at the Nakonde border as well as the strenuous photo-sanitary requirements by the Kenyan government. Speaking at a press briefing this morning Kenyan Minister of Agriculture Hon Willy Bett assured the Kenyan grain traders of basic and quick standards processes for maize and sugar imports into Kenya from Zambia.
Speaking at same briefing Ms Siliya and Mr Mutati promised an express lane for maize exports to Kenya .
“We have decided to commit an express lane for sugar and maize that is exported to Kenya in order to ease the movement of these produces,” said Ms Siliya.
She noted that Zambia has also reduced the duration that it takes for an exporter to get permit to ship maize out of Zambia from seven days to 24 hours.
It was also agreed that discussions Will commence immediately with Tazara to move most agriculture cargo from the road to rail, Kenya confirmed the continued waiver of duty on Maize and Sugar imports to facilitate smooth trade especially between Zambia and Kenya.
“We have removed the mandatory requirement of the 10 per cent export duty that traders had to pay before they are allowed to ship the grain in order to ease trade between two states,” he said.
The Kenyans are hoping to import 100 thousand mt in the next two weeks of maize from Zambia. The Zambian Ministers have confirmed to the Kenyans the removal of 10% export tax on maize and consistency in maize supply.
Kenya has experienced massive food shortages due to drought..the country has also been affected by army worms
Now shouldn’t this be the other way round? The Kenyans are the ones desperate for maize and should be the ones hotfooting it to Lusaka. But it appears we are more desperate to sale than they are desperate to buy. Talk about taking the market to the market. Only in ZAmbia.
The early bird catches the worm. It’s businessman-ship. Kenyans have the whole world to choose from, when it comes to where to source their maize from.
Lethal pair.
Felix windila Dora uko mwaya napapata
Just imagine if that tax on maize was simply reduced instead of removal how the taxpayer would have benefitted but since these tins are shortsighted and greedy…
Campaign to deregister upnd has started. Let’s pressure pacro to do the right thing immediately. This tribe turned political has drifted from the principles they were registered for.
@Nubian mwaiche wandi you put it right there!
– First scandal
Mutati & Dora definitely booked 1 room with 2 beds. Whatever happens in room 201 stay there. Use same receipt to 2 ministries.
Here is why I get confused sometimes what does the Minister of Agric go to do with trade deals …. where is minister of commerce ?? That is where conflicts start happening we recently had some bans by the Min of Agric reversed by Min of commerce because the former was going against trade deals signed. Dora just likes deals and that is where the problem is she is there to do deals for Mubalama and the Bandas period!!
DID YOU READ THIS;
Last week a delegation from the East Africa grain traders association visited Zambia on a fact finding mission and met with Ministries of Agriculture and Finance as well as the private sector in Zambia.
The two most corrupt negotiating on behalf of Zambians?? PF supporters are fools. These are MMD thieves now in PF. What a shame. I have never seen such stupidity. what maize deal. Kenyans should be the ones to approach Zambia. This is just for their own personal gain just like they did in Malawi. Lungu and his foolish ministers have failed Zambians
What has exporting Maize (Agriculture) and exporting of Sugar (Commerce) got to do with Mutati. It’s supposed to be Dora and Margaret.
Anyway, the people PF imported from MMD seem to be working harder than the true green. The man is following Bottom Power.
Mutati is an accountant a bean counter he wants to count…he is playing the long game 5 years from now he will be fighting for presidency like he did to MMD destroying from inside like termites.
mbuya, mutati, dora and mwanakatwe are all blues
Now PF are doing something impressive – economics, not politics.
Really laughing …Dora fast tracking deal, they can not wait to get their hands on the money and also those haulage contracts.
Haha , we export to Kenya the basics and Kenya sells to us higher value stuff …their Kenya Airways and their KenolKobil fuel dealers.
When is this subservient trade gonna be balanced?
Dorah Siliyah and Felix Mutati are now contributing to Kenya’s flourishing tourist and travel industry.
Great initiative and thanks Mr President Sir for hearing the pleas of the farmers!!! Let’s see that ordinary farmers and not fat Greek millers and their conmen middle men buyers are the ones who benefit! Small scale farmers must get paid well for their efforts..farming is a hard occupation no way a farmer should be paid low for the hard work they do to feed the nation, the input cost is high, if the price of their produce is low how will they pay for inputs and if they fail then no one will farm next season and we will experience hunger and famine! Let the farmer get paid well to secure their livelihood!!!
You think small scale farmers will travel to nairobi with their oxen carts to sell their six bags….really laughable…there is a middleman in all this who will make sure he maximises his share!!
If l were Dora siliya, l could have not rushed exporting the maize before we even know if shall good rains next year. What a great thinker does is to stock more grain that will last three to four seasons in case of calamity in terms of drought but because of lack of vision and wanting to share the money amongst yourselves hence the rash. Well do evil on this earth as one day the wrath will one day fell on you. You can not always keep on escaping police incarceration. The warning is sounded to the PF high party as a whole.
Boma well done !
The 3,6m plus 600,000 ton carry over has simply slaughtered farmers. Maize prices are at K40 per bag, and farmers are in crisis. Though the peak price of K150 last year was excessive, at least K100 is needed by farmers to break even and avoid bankruptcies.
Whatever can be exported will alleviate the current glut.
Mwape. The statement aboutb $100 million deal announced a few days ago works at at an average of $ 240 approx per tonne over sll grains.. Maize at 40kr i per bag i7s approx $80 per tonne who is making the money. Who is exporting the government or private traders. Why hasnt FRA set a floor price. Have we harvested and delivered the 3.5 million tonnes of maize yet. So what are we exporting ….our reserves?
Masalamuso well said…honestly the harvest is not yet in you a busy signing contracts…I smell a dead rat here
I hope this is not being pushed hastily to benefit from some huge kickbacks by Dora, Mutati or some very powerful people in government because that is all that has remained when it comes to government work. It is about personal service and not public service
people some millers and businessmen are buying maize as low as k50/ 50 kg. this is too low looking at the cost of growing a 50kg bag. so the GRZ is being proactive ; if they can sell at a good price hen the farmer can sell to GRZ at a fair price preferably k90/ per bag.
also note that Tanzania and south africa even mozambique have got a good harvest aswell and Kenya is a potential market. by the way maize or mealiemeal in Congo, as at the moment ,is slightly lower ,at atimes at par with local price. this is because SA and others are selling there . too much supply surpassing demand in Congo. smuggling is not lucrative as it was 5 or more months ago .
There is a shortage of maize and sugar in Kenya, in short there is a crisis and it is election time in August, so they are looking for a quick fix. But whereas this is a normal business arrangement, the unfortunate part is that, Dora ala lyamo instead of doing normal transaction, ena has even calculated ka side kick!!
Umwanakashi uyu bwafya!!!
Dora and Felix on a mission together? Not only are they making some side deals out there, they are going to FACK each other like crazy. I cant wait to see the video, you know how Felix is!