Africa-Press – Zambia. Government has engaged the defense forces to mop up all the maize grain which was marooned in various satellite depots in Northern Province and transport it to main storage sheds. Northern Province Minister, Leonard Mbao, said the grain haulage exercise, particularly for maize, has been undertaken to secure the grain.
Mr. Mbao explained that the defense forces were tasked to mop up the maize which is still in satellite depots after local transporters failed to collect the grain due to the bad road network.
“The exercise is significant as it aims at securing all the stocks which are still in satellite depots in areas with very poor terrain coupled with the rains which made it difficult for local transporters to access the depots,” Mr. Mbao explained.
He said this when he witnessed the maize haulage exercise in Luwingu and Lupososhi districts dubbed ‘operation ubutala two’. The Provincial Minister said President Hakainde Hichilema has put food security on top of his agenda, stating that this is why the government has invested in the maize haulage exercise in the province.
“My government has invested in crop haulage particularly for maize from all hard to reach areas by the Zambian defense forces under the exercise dubbed ‘operation ubutala II’ to secure the grain,” he said.
Mr. Mbao further disclosed that in the exercise which started on 7th March 2022, the defence forces have so far transported 5,333 bags of maize weighing 50kg each out of the targeted 104,795 bags marooned in satellites from five out of the twelve districts.
He stated that the remaining stacks will be secured in a few weeks to come as the task force has shown commitment to accomplish the task ahead. Meanwhile, Food Reserve Agency (FRA) Northern Province Crop Marketing Coordinator, Timothy Chanda, explained that the agency purchased close to four million by 50kg bags of maize from small holder farmers in the last crop marketing season in the region.
Mr. Chanda however stated that despite this achievement, FRA faced a number of challenges among them failure to transport some maize stocks which are marooned in different satellites due to poor road network.
He said this is why the government has engaged the defense forces to move the grain especially in areas with bad road networks. And Northern Province Command Formation Commander, who is also “operations ubutala two” task force Commander, Chola Lupashi, said the maize haulage exercise is progressing well.
Brigadier General Lupashi assured government that the team of defense forces is equal to the task and will carry out the assignment diligently. “I want to assure you, Minister, that we are equal to the task and ready to accomplish this strategic task with support from the Food Reserve Agency, Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit and the Provincial Administration,” he said.
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