Namibia wants to buy Zambian maize

LUSAKA – Zimbabwe, Namibia and three other nations want to buy a total of 240 000 tonnes of white maize from Zambia but the African country plans to export only 100 000 tonnes, a senior industry official said yesterday.

The state Food Reserve Agency (FRA) said Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had requested to purchase white maize from Zambia after President Levy Mwanawasa lifted a maize export ban in July. Mwanawasa, who suspended maize exports in 2005 after Zambia experienced a deficit of its staple food, lifted the ban in July and authorised the FRA to export only 100 000 tonnes of maize.FRA executive director Anthony Mwanaumo said Malawi had requested to purchase 40 000 tonnes from Zambia while the rest of the countries each wanted to buy 50 000 tonnes of maize.Mwanaumo said the FRA was currently looking at the logistics of exporting the maize and negotiating prices.”We have requests from Angola, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia and the DRC for maize.Negotiations are currently under way but we can only export 100 000 tonnes so that we can use the money to buy more maize from small-scale farmers,” Mwanaumo told Reuters.President Mwanawsa allowed the FRA to export maize after the government failed to provide all the funds the FRA requires to buy maize from small-scale farmers.Zambia’s white maize production for the 2005/06 season has risen to 1 424 439, compared with 866 187 tonnes output in the 2004/05 season and the government says next year’s production could reach 2,4 million tonnes.Mwanaumo said the FRA had so far managed to purchase only 120 000 tonnes of maize from peasants and that it would quicken the process before the next rainy season starts in October.”Our strategic reserve is three months consumption which is 150 000 tonnes, but our target is to reach 200 000 tonnes,” Mwanaumo added.Mwanaumo said the exports would be separate from the maize to be kept in strategic reserves.Zambian farmers are concerned that the FRA has not purchased the crop to enable them to start preparations for the 2006/07 agricultural season.Nampa-ReutersMwanawasa, who suspended maize exports in 2005 after Zambia experienced a deficit of its staple food, lifted the ban in July and authorised the FRA to export only 100 000 tonnes of maize.FRA executive director Anthony Mwanaumo said Malawi had requested to purchase 40 000 tonnes from Zambia while the rest of the countries each wanted to buy 50 000 tonnes of maize.Mwanaumo said the FRA was currently looking at the logistics of exporting the maize and negotiating prices.”We have requests from Angola, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia and the DRC for maize.Negotiations are currently under way but we can only export 100 000 tonnes so that we can use the money to buy more maize from small-scale farmers,” Mwanaumo told Reuters.President Mwanawsa allowed the FRA to export maize after the government failed to provide all the funds the FRA requires to buy maize from small-scale farmers.Zambia’s white maize production for the 2005/06 season has risen to 1 424 439, compared with 866 187 tonnes output in the 2004/05 season and the government says next year’s production could reach 2,4 million tonnes.Mwanaumo said the FRA had so far managed to purchase only 120 000 tonnes of maize from peasants and that it would quicken the process before the next rainy season starts in October.”Our strategic reserve is three months consumption which is 150 000 tonnes, but our target is to reach 200 000 tonnes,” Mwanaumo added.Mwanaumo said the exports would be separate from the maize to be kept in strategic reserves.Zambian farmers are concerned that the FRA has not purchased the crop to enable them to start preparations for the 2006/07 agricultural season.Nampa-Reuters