By ALICE NACHILEMBE Rainbow party has called on the PF government through Agriculture minister to immediately lift the ban on maize and mealie meal export.
Rainbow party Deputy National spokesman Humphrey Kabwe said that the farmers should benefit from the ready market in our neighbouring countries especially DRC.
Mr Kabwe said the continuous ban on maize and mealie meal export is retrogressive to the farmer and the country.
He said the ready market should be an encouragement to our farmers to produce more and it should be a source of employment creation as well as source of revenue for the government.
Mr Kabwe said the government should remove all security wings (ZNS) from the borders and send them into camps so that they begin maize production and other crops for export which in turn bring more forex to the country.
“Why should government spend a lot of money for purchase of farm input and distribute to the farmers and after the farmers harvest…you decide to impose a ban? The investment in farm inputs should be able to bring more revenue to the country and that revenue can only come if export is encouraged and totally supported by the government, he said.
He said the only maize that we need to stock is maize for security at both national and household.
