Africa-Press – Zambia. Opposition Patriotic Front Kanchibiya Constituency Member of Parliament Sunday Chilufya Chanda has asked the Government through the Ministry of Agriculture to immediately stop the exportation of maize to other countries.
The Government this year lifted a ban on maize export amid bumper harvests recorded in the last two farming seasons. Commenting on the dry spell being experienced across the country in November and December this year, Mr. Chanda said chances of recording another bumper harvest in the 2021, 2022 farming season are reducing.
Some plants planted in November and December have completely dried up in some parts of the country due to dry spells. “It is evidently clear that prospects of a bumper harvest in 2022 are dwindling by the day considering the prolonged dry spell across the country,” Mr. Chanda said in a media statement issued on Monday afternoon.
“We also have farmers across the country who planted their crops following the first rains that have completely dried up. These may not have the capacity to replant even if the rains normalised. We are faced with a situation where citizens in different parts of the country will need relief food as a consequence.”
“Against this background, I wish to call on the Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, to halt the exportation of maize until the rains have normalised and after estimating the impact of the dry spell on the 2022 harvest,” said the Lawmaker.
“Further, the Ministry of Agriculture is called upon to inform Zambians about the full extent of this dry spell. The Ministry should also focus on preparing small scale farmers on climate change adaptation methods across the country,” he added.
“Lastly, I wish to call upon the Government to invest heavily in irrigation across the country, as a medium to long term measure, so as to reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture,” Mr. Chanda concluded.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chanda’s proposal may not receive support from the Grain Traders Association of Zambia, who earlier this year advocated for the lifting of the ban on maize exports.
Association Executive Director Chabuleni Simwinga is on record to have said that the association has the capacity to export 68,000 tonnes of maize. Mr. Simwinga had further expressed concern that his members are still holding on to stocks of maize which he feared would go bad.
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