FRA Reassures Zambians There is Enough Maize Stock To Last Until Next Harvest

Kelvin Hambwezya, a board chairperson of the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), has reassured worried Zambians that the country is currently sitting on enough maize stock to last until the next harvest.

There are currently over 300,000 metric tons (mt) of maize held in strategic reserves, with more than a third of that located in Eastern Province. The FRA has plans to move 45,000mt of Eastern Province’s supply to areas of need.

Hambwezya made the announcement during his tour of the Lundazi District, where he visited FRA sheds, Katundu Milling plant, and maize sellers at Lundazi Central Business District.

This announcement is welcome news following a period of anxiety among Zambians regarding a shortage of mealie meal. Worries were particularly acute in the Copperbelt Province, where the government implemented measures to curb cross-border smuggling of the staple food into the Democratic Republic of Congo.  

However, with the FRA’s reassuring update, Hambwezya has urged the nation not to panic-buy mealie meal. “As you can see, trucks are loading maize to take it to the Copperbelt. We are moving some maize from areas of surplus to areas where there is deficit so that we can meet the demand in those areas”, he said.

Hambwezya assures the nation there is “no cause really for alarm”: Zambia’s next harvest is in May, and the country’s maize stocks will not run dry before then.  

Photo: Phoenix FM Zambia