MSONI CAUTIONS GOVT ON ITS DECISION TO LIFT THE BAN ON THE EXPORTATION OF MAIZE AND MEALIE MEAL
All Peoples Congress President Nasson Msoni has cautioned government on its move to lift the ban on the exportation of Maize and mealie meal.
Msoni tells Byta FM News that government did not take due diligence in ascertaining that the country has sufficient stocks of maize before allowing exportation of the commodity.
He charges that government has not learnt any lessons from the previous experience of the skyrocketing prices of mealie meal in the country resulting from insufficient maize stocks.
Msoni adds that the reckless export of the maize ultimately puts the burden on ordinary poor citizens who have to pay high prices for the commodity.
He fears that the lifting of the ban on the maize exports will result in a steady and systematic rise in the prices of the mealie meal hence driving the ordinary citizens into massive starvation.
On Thursday, government accepted a proposal by the Millers Association of Zambia to allow millers with their own maize to export 20 percent of their mealie meal.
Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo said that the move is in line with the policy directive that government will only be dealing with millers who buy their own maize from farmers.
He disclosed that so far, export permits for maize and mealie meal of up to 100 Thousand metric tonnes have been issued under the Early Maize Export Programme which ran between June 2020 and February 2021.