MEALIE-MEAL IMPORTS HIT A LEGAL SNAG
By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
In the entire region, only Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and South Africa are surplus producers of maize.
And of these surplus producers, only Zambia and Tanzania produce non-GMO maize. So with Tanzania currently facing a critical shortage, it leaves only Zambia and South Africa with adequate stocks.
However, Zambia has spent the last year exporting over 1.5million metric tonnes of maize to the region.
The Zambia Biosafety Act of 2007 prohibits importation of Geneticaly Modified Organisms(GMOs) and its products in the country unless a stringent and laid down public procedure and process is followed.
The importation of mealie-meal from South Africa will require authority from the Biosafety Authority.
Prior to granting permission by the Authority, the importation or transit of such GMO goods or products, Section 14 of the Act requires that a consultative and public participation process must take place before any such authority is issued.
There is a second and more serious legal impendiments, Section 11 prohibits 🚫 importation of GMOs or GMO products and no legal permit can be issued to crops or live livestock of national strategic importance.
Maize is classified as a strategic national crop of national importance as it is a staple food in Zambia and the importation of GMO maize or its products is banned!
Even in circumstances where authority is granted for the importation of GMO crops or products, the packaging of such products must be prominently labeled “GMO”, as the choice to consume such foods remains with the consumer!
In short and because of the emergency nature of the problem, Zambia may have to import maize or mealie-meal from non-GMO countries.
In Africa, Zambia, Algeria and Madagascar have banned GMOs, and in Asia, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan, and Saudi Arabia.
Finally, in the Americas, Belize, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela have all banned GMOs.
In Africa, South Africa, Malawi and Sudan are using and producing GMOs.
World producers of maize, USA, Brazil and Argentine all grow Genetically Modified Foods.
Further hindrance may arise from the commercial perspective, as the landed cost of a 25kg of mealie-meal from South Africa without duty is above K260. It is in doubt whether this is commercially viable for traders for such expensive mealie meal.
It appears that the Ministry of Agriculture ìgnored the law and other factors when making hasty decisions about importing mealie-meal.
