Govt urged to accept DRC, Angola maize deal

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 11:59:32 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO

GOVERNMENT should authorise the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to offload maize to the private sector for export to Angola and DR Congo who have requested for 120, 000 metric tonnes of maize on a government to government deal,  National Union for Small Scale Farmers of Zambia director general Frank Kayula has said.

Mr Kayula said that the request for maize by the Angolan and Congolese governments was an opportunity that both FRA and the private sector should benefit from.

He said in an interview with the Daily Nation that Government should authorise the FRA to offload a specified amount of maize to the private sector for export to the two countries.

Mr Kayula said that Government should let the FRA take advantage of the request by Angola and DR Congo to empty their sheds in preparation for this year’s harvest.

He said that the Zambian business community should be the ones to carry out the transactions and not government.

Mr Kayula reiterated that Government should not be seen hijacking business from the private sector after effecting an export ban on maize.

“It must be the Zambian business people and not Government to carry out these transactions. So Government should authorise the FRA to sell maize to the private sector, who will then export to the two countries.

Meanwhile, Congo DR ambassador to Zambia Mayele Ebokwol Ghyor requested for 100,000 metric tonnes of maize on behalf of his government from Agriculture minister Dora Siliya at a recent meeting in Lusaka.

His Angolan counterpart Balbina Malheiros Dais da Silva also requested for 20, 000 metric tonnes at the same meeting.

The two diplomats explained that the maize exports were to be carried out on a government-to-government deal.

And FRA director Chola Kafwabulula said Government should allow the FRA to carry out the transactions because the country had more than enough stocks of maize and that that the country would still be food secure after exporting to the two countries. Mr Kafwabulula reiterated that the exports would also be a chance for the FRA to empty their sheds in readiness for the 2016 harvest.