Mealie meal export banned #zambia

GOVERNMENT has with immediate effect banned
the export of mealie-meal.
The move follows recent reports that mealie-meal
prices have been sky-rocketing in various parts of
the country.
Meanwhile, the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has
started off loading 50,000 tonnes of maize to
registered milling companies to stabilise the price
of mealie meal.
Agriculture and Livestock Minister Robert Sichinga
announced the ban in a statement released in
Lusaka yesterday.
"Government has banned mealie-meal exports,"
he said.
Mr Sichinga also announced that the Government
had with immediate effect lifted the ban on the
export of maize bran and wheat bran.
He said the measure was aimed at cushioning the
millers arising from the anticipated reduction in
mealie-meal prices.
Mr Sichinga also ordered that mealie-meal prices
should not exceed K 65 per 25 kilogramme bag
of breakfast mealie meal, K45 per 25 kilogramme
bag of roller meal and K650 per tonne of maize
bran.
He said the Government was concerned about
reports of rising mealie-meal prices in some parts
of the country and advised members of the
public not to panic.
He said the decision to effect the mealie-meal and
maize export ban was arrived at after lengthy
discussions between Millers Association of
Zambia (MAZ), Grain Traders Association, Zambia
National Farmers Union (ZNFU) and Government.
Mr Sichinga said Government would also
significantly scale down the quantity of maize
export commitments on a government to
government basis.
"The FRA has been instructed to immediately
release 50,000 tonnes of maize onto the market
and more maize will be released if necessary, to
ensure demand is met and to maintain a stable
price, to be sold at K1,700 per metric tonnes
along the line of rail and K1,600 elsewhere," he
said.
Mr Sichinga emphasised that Government would
always have enough maize in the country to
ensure national food security and stabilise the
mealie-meal price.
"As the Minister responsible for the country's
food security, I wish to take this opportunity to
inform the public that this is the official position of
Government on mealie-meal prices and food
security situation," he said.
And FRA spokesperson, Daniel M'soka said he
could not state how much maize had been off
loaded so far because the exercise had just
started.
"We will be able to give correct figures by
Monday we have just started today (yesterday),
said Mr Msoka.
Retailers in some parts of the country have hiked
mealie-meal prices by between K5 and K10 per 25
kilogramme bag.