The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has called on government to open the export market for maize and ensure that this year’s produce does not go to waste.
Speaking in an interview ZNFU Executive Director Ndambo Ndambo said the country should take advantage of the market in the region and export the surplus maize.
Mr. Ndambo observed that with the inadequate storage facilities currently in existence in the country it is important that government opens up the export market to neighbouring countries to avoid grain going to waste.
He also notes that exporting the excess produce will help the country earn the much needed foreign exchange.
He further said the country should also continue investing in social facilities which he says cannot be developed overnight.
He notes that the country can only live up to its expectation as the region’s food basket if the produce is accessible to others.
He warns that if measures are not put in place then the country will lose its grain once more like in the past and the bumper harvest would only be a record without benefiting the people in the country.
And Mr Ndambo has called on small scale farmers to be patient and avoid selling their produce to unscrupulous business men at a loss.
He says farmers should not be duped into selling off their produce while its in the field without knowing the exact quantity of their labour.
He advised the farmers not to be desperate by allowing briefcase business men to dupe them of their hard earned produce.
He said the farmers in need of help should visit regional offices so that they can be properly advised.
Some small scale farmers are said to be selling of their produce before it is even harvested from the fields.
Ndambo is speaking with his tongue in his Barotse cheeks. He is mocking PF on bumper harvest statement. He is putting PF in between rock and hard place. Allow export and have trouble at home, do not allow and confirm BUFI.
Please to the powers that be let us NOT export maize this year, other country’s beef up their vital reserves be they fuel or essential commodities to last decades, we should take a leaf from that and make sure we have at least 5 years worth of food reserves before we make a mistalke of exporting which is what the capitalistsare trying hard to persuade our dear President. Please don’t listen to these selfish people in ZNFU who are just puppets to rich musungu commericial farmers, why listen to these devils who don’t even eat nshima? Guy Scott don’t mislead us please, you misled us in 1991 and you want to do the same now for the sake of your fellow bugas..shame on you!
@vision 2020- in 5 years maize with any amount of chemical and preservatives will rot. Zambia shall have enough stock for next 18 months or so. Rest can be exported.
If only our country have enough grain storage infrastructure enough to store grain for years. Lack of export will simply mean a repeat of what we have seen in the past ‘ stake piles of rotten maize’.
Fake pf Ndambo Ndambo you liars theres no bumber harvest under rubbish pf so no exporting any maize