. SATA

By XAVIER  MANCHISHI –
PRESIDENT Michael Sata has directed the Zambia National Service and the Zambia Prisons Service to triple their maize production to mitigate the pricing of mealie-meal in the country.
Mr Sata said the two service institutions must also triple their soya beans production in order to mitigate the pricing of stock feed.
The President said Government had since allocated a total of K22 million in the 2014 fiscal budget which will be used to increase agricultural production by the Prisons Service by expanding Chitumba Farm to 5,000 hectares of land and recapitalise it with modern equipment fully by 2016.
“I would like to implore the ZNS and Zambia Prisons Service to triple their maize and soya bean production to the satisfaction of the Zambian people and thereby mitigate in the pricing and availability of mealie-meal and stock feed in the country,” he said.
Mr Sata said on his Facebook page that Government intends to increase the agricultural production through ZNS and Zambia Prisons Service.
The President disclosed that during the 2013/2014 season, ZNS managed to cultivate over 1, 225 hectares of maize, soya beans and wheat.
Last year, Government through the Prisons Service established the Kalonga Milling Plant with capacity to produce 3200 x 25kg bags of mealie-meal per day at a total cost of K5.3 million.
Breakfast and Roller meal are the main products at the milling plant while maize bran is the by-product from the plant.
“I sent my Minister of Finance Hon Alexander B Chikwanda to commission this plant late last year,” Mr Sata said.
The President said it was worth noting that the milling plant will not only mitigate the huge cost implications of feeding inmates, but would also provide cheaper and affordable mealie-meal to the general public particularly in Kabwe and the surrounding areas as well as a ready market for maize from the local farmers.