Zambia in a deficit of 187, 000MT of maize

Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya says Zambia is still in a deficit of 187, 000 metric tonnes of maize of the total required strategic reserves.

Ms. Siliya says this is what will be needed to push the Country’s strategic reserves to slightly over the national requirement of 500, 000 metric tonnes.

In a ministerial statement Ms. Siliya has disclosed in Parliament that as of 10^th October last week the FRA was in possession of a total of 276, 680 metric tonnes.

Ms. Siliya states that this means that the FRA will continue in the market until the said requirement of strategic reserves is met.

She notes that this also entails that the ban on export of maize will remain in force.

Ms. Siliya has however assured the House and the nation that the Country has sufficient maize for both human consumption and industrial requirements in the estimated total of 3, 540, 576 tones.

She says this estimated maize available which will last to up to April 2017 is in fact with a surplus of 634, 680 tones against a total estimated national requirement of 2, 905, 896 tones

 

QFM