CABINET APPROVES EXPORT OF 500,000 TONNES OF SURPLUS MAIZE

CABINET APPROVES EXPORT OF 500,000 TONNES OF SURPLUS MAIZE

…..greenlights US$2.45 billion Industrial Park in Chilanga

Lusaka… Tuesday August 12, 2025 (MONEY MEDIA AFRICA)

Cabinet has approved the export of surplus maize grain totaling 501,620.61 Metric Tonnes or its equivalent quantity of mealie meal to various destinations in the region.

President Hakainde Hichilema, called for the 15th Cabinet Meeting in the Year 2025, on Monday, 11th August, 2025, at State House, to deliberate on policy and legislative matters, so as to enhance national development.

In a statement obtained by Money Media Africa today, Chief Government Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said this is premised on the fact that Government has pronounced that agriculture is business.

Mr Mweetwa said during the 2024/2025 farming season, the country produced an estimated 3.7 million Mt of maize grain and had a carry-over stock of 385,000 Mt.

“This implies that the total available stock for 2025/2026 stood at 4.040 million Mt. The 2025/2026 National Food Balance Sheet estimates the total national requirements for maize grain (human consumption, industrial use and strategic reserves) at 3.5 million Mt per annum. In view of the surplus maize arising from the bumper harvest during the 2024/2025 farming season, Cabinet has approved the exportation of 63,883.61 Mt of maize grain, part of which is early maize, at 28,883.61 and maize held by the members of the Grain Traders Association of Zambia, amounting to 35,000 Mt and a total of 350,189.6 Mt of mealie meal, to some countries within the region,” he said.

“However, Cabinet emphasised that the national food security should remain priority to ensure that the citizens have adequate food in the country. Cabinet also emphasised the need to ensure that all the maize under the National Strategic Reserves is stored properly to avoid any wastage. In terms of transportation of the maize and mealie meal to neighbouring countries, Cabinet resolved that Zambian truckers should benefit from the transportation business.”

He further said that Cabinet emphasised that the Food Reserve Agency, should continue and expedite the buying of maize which is still lying out there with farmers country-wide.

“Cabinet indicated that the Export Programme will bring in the country, the much needed liquidity in the maize value chain and motivate farmers to expand production in subsequent seasons as the Country drives towards the 10 million Mt production target,” he added.

Meanwhile, Cabinet approved the declaration of a portion of the land belonging to Wonderful Group of Companies in Chilanga District, Lusaka Province as an Industrial Park.

According to Mr Mweetwa, the Wonderful Group Industrial Park is projected to attract companies with a collective investment outlay of US$ 2.45 billion and create about 9,650 direct jobs of which, 800 to 1,000 will be chemical engineers.

“The declaration of the area as Industrial Park will, therefore, contribute to transferring of technology and skills, creating job opportunities, accelerating export-led industrialisation, creating of forward and backwards linkages with other sectors and integration of business enterprises into the regional value chains,” he stated.

“Further, the development of the Industrial Park will accelerate the attraction of different industries that will reduce the reliance on imported products such as Urea fertilizer, glasses and phosphate products and thereby conserving foreign exchange outflow. In addition, the Industrial Park will support phosphate mining in Sinda and Petauke Districts, which will be used as raw material in fertilizer production.”