ZCF ready to export mealie meal
Sharon Kunda-The Zambia Cooperative Federation -ZCF- says it will take advantage of the lifting of the ban on the export of maize and mealie meal to export the produce to neighbouring countries.
ZCF Director General JAMES CHIRWA says the organisation has set a target of buying 50 thousand metric tons of maize and that most of this will be reserved for more lucrative markets in the neighbouring countries.
Mr. CHIRWA says a number of countries in the region which include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda have made inquiries on the Federation’s capacity to export mealie meal to their states.
He has told ZNBC News in Lusaka that ZCF’s focus will be to export mealie meal more than maize to maximise on foreign exchange earnings.
Mr. CHIRWA said the organisation has been advocating for the country to export more of mealie meal instead of maize to get maximum value from the Agricultural sector.
He has also applauded the Food Reserve Agency -FRA- for setting its purchase price of maize at 1 hundred and 50 Kwacha, saying it will give real value to the small-scale farmers.