. Lubinda

By SAM PHIRI –
AGRICULTURE Minister Given Lubinda says he is disappointed with some opposition leaders who are issuing unfounded and alarming statements on the country’s food security.
Mr Lubinda accused opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema of issuing false statements to the international media that Zambia was going to run into an acute food deficit.
“Zambia currently has 594,000 metric tonnes of maize in the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) reserves and that is more than enough food for the next six months or more,” Mr Lubinda said.
Mr Lubinda who assured the nation of enough staple food stocks urged members of the public to stop panic buying of mealie-meal.
He said President Lungu was misquoted by Mr Hichilema on the possible importation of maize as one of the alternatives.
Mr Lubinda explained that at no time did President Lungu say importing maize was a must but that it was just one of the three alternatives if things went to the worst situation that is most unlikely to happen.
He further castigated Mr Hichilema of lying that Zambia had exported maize at a cheaper price but was going to import the same commodity at a higher cost of almost double the amount.
On the issue of the four banned milling companies, Mr Lubinda said there was less if no impact they could pose on the production of mealie-meal to satisfy local demand.
“Even if we close 20 more milling companies, we won’t have a shortage of mealie-meal because we would still have enough millers to supply the country’s food demand,” he said.
He advised people to immediately stop buying more than five bags of mealie-meal per person as that caused unnecessary and artificial shortages in retail shops.
“How can you buy seven bags of mealie-meal for home consumption? This must be stopped because this is a politically-motivated move to create a wrong impression that there is a looming shortage of mealie-meal,” Mr Lubinda said.
The minister said the Government was working round the clock to ensure that whoever was involved in such activities was exposed.
On the smuggling of the commodity, Mr Lubinda said the ministry of Home Affairs was working hard to ensure that the vice was stopped.