Lift ban on maize export, Govt urged

PETER SICHALI writes @SunZambiaGOVERNMENT should allow grain traders to export maize using a controlled system, Grain Traders Association of Zambia (GTAZ) spokesperson Chambuleni Simwinga has said.Mr Simwinga said absolute ban on export of maize was killing private businesses in the agricultural sector.“Government should understand that, as private sector, we have to survive because we borrow money from the banks and right now there is slow consumption of mealie meal so the maize sales are slow,” he said.He said Government should allow maize export on controlled basis in order to know what the country had ex-ported and how much was in stock.“This thing of controlled export system or quota system that we have been calling for has been done before in Zambia and can be done so that the economy can benefit,” Mr Simwinga said.Mr Simwinga said the private sector especially players in agriculture had been greatly affected by the ban on export of maize and mealie meal.He said some milling companies on the Copperbelt had even started closing down following the ban on maize and mealie export.“When they just ban the maize export completely, they do not know that they are killing us as private sector in agriculture,” he said.Mr Simwinga said Government should be flexible on maize export to save the private sector from completely shutting their businesses.“The ban export on maize is killing private sector participation, because it is not possible that the little maize we have bought can be consumed locally at a high costs,” Mr Simwinga said.Mr Simwinga said grain traders finance small scale farmers through the out-grower schemes systems.He added export of maize could help stabilise the kwacha as the grain was fetching a lot of money in Zimba-bwe and Democratic Republic of Congo.“There is high demand for maize in the neighbouring countries including Zimbabwe and Democratic Republic of Congo,” he said.Meanwhile, Mr Simwinga said the GTAZ has only purchased 200,000 out of the targeted 500,000 tonnes of maize.