Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo has re-assured that the nation that Zambia is food secure as it has enough maize stocks in the strategic reserves.
Mr. Katambo says there is therefore no need for people to cause alarm that the country risks a hunger situation.
He has disclosed that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is currently holding on to about 500,000 metric tons of maize grain in its strategic reserves as carry-over stock from the 2016/17 farming season.
Mr. Katambo says government has however extended the 2018 maize marketing period to enable the FRA buy additional grain.
He states that the Secretary to the Treasury has allowed the purchase of additional maize and that resources are currently being mobilized to finance the exercise.
The Minister of Agriculture explains that the second round of maize purchasing, which will continue into January next year, has thus been necessitated to enable the FRA stock adequate grain.
He says the agency has only managed to buy 157, 000 tons during this year’s maize marketing season.