Maravi

Malawi seeks maize imports from Zambia

Malawi seeks maize imports from Zambia
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Monday March 10, 2008 [03:00]

THE Malawian government is seeking to import 90,000 metric tonnes of maize from Zambia, according to the Nyasa Times of Malawi. But Zambia's co-minister of Agriculture Sarah Sayifwanda has said the government will not allow any further export of maize fearing the country might face a shortage of the grain.

According to the Malawian newspaper, the move would mitigate hunger and starvation in Zambia's neighbouring country.

The paper also reported that Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika had sent senior chief Lukwa of that country to Zambia to negotiate a contingency import.

"Malawi maize crisis has been triggered by exportation of maize to Zimbabwe and donation to Lesotho and Swaziland...," Nyasa Times reported. "National Food Reserve Agency officially exported 400,000 tonnes of maize to Zimbabwe. The country is yet to satisfy maize donations made to drought-hit Lesotho, Swaziland and the World Food Programme in Malawi."

The newspaper citing an anonymous source in the Zambian government reported that currently Zambia had agreed to export 20,000 metric tonnes for contingency but chief Lukwa was having another meeting with other stakeholders in the Zambian government to solicit further tonnes of the grain.

But speaking in a telephone interview from the University Teaching Hospital where she had gone to seek treatment, Sayifwanda said the government would not allow further exports of the grain.

She could not however confirm whether the Malawian government had approached the Zambian government over the deal on the grain.

"I have already written to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) instructing them not to export any maize from this country," Sayifwanada said. "What I am saying is that no grain will go outside the country because we may have problems of the floods.

So whatever we have now is going to be purely for local consumption as we don't want to start importing any grain in the future when we have enough currently."

Labels: MAIZE, MALAWI

posted by MrK @ 4:09 AM