President Hichilema Must Apologise and Take Action Against Officers that have Contributed to this Crisis
…food security is national security…
By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
I have seen a statement or newspaper advert attributed to the Minister of Agriculture trending disclosing that President Hakainde Hichilema has authorized the importation of both white and yellow maize in the country.
This appears to be part of the measures of the declaration of the disaster and the begging bowl extended seeking $900million from the international community.
For the first time in 30 years, Zambians will be fed yellow nshima!
This matter is so serious that it requires an honest conversation.
1. Government has not officially disclosed that it has depleted the national strategic maize reserves held by the Food Reserve Agency.
2. Government lied that the 2023 harvest was 3.2 million metric tonnes.
Both millers and agro traders disputed the numbers from the Ministry of Agriculture accusing government of doctoring the 2022/2023 results from the crop forecast survey.
In addition, it was
established by the survey results that a total of 219,610 hectares of land under crop production was damaged by the dry spell.
The 2022/2023 season was also characterised by poor and chaotic fertiliser distribution, the outbreak of fall army worms and stalk borers that were reported damaged about 8,021 hectares of cropped land.
In some parts of Zambia, the cassava brown streak disease was reported to have affected
many fields.
In total, the damage caused by flash floods, dry spells and pests affected over 319,611 hectares of farmed land.
Hon. Mutolo Phiri informed Parliament that as at 1st May, 2023, the total carry-over stocks held by farmers, millers, grain traders and the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) was 450,891 metric
tonnes with expected production of 3,261,686 metric tonnes of maize and that the total stocks of maize was standing at 3.7million metric tonnes.
3. The maize exports continued relentlessly despite the warnings from the sub-sector and associated industries. The accumulated national strategic maize reserves since 2019 was targeted and depleted.
4. In 2023, FEWS NET( the Famine Early Warning Systems Network) which monitors and forecasts acute food insecurity, warned about the impending El Niño weather phenomenon that would hit Southern Africa.
Even as late as November 2023, when Zambia was being warned about the impending dry spell in January and February, 2024, Government was wantonly exporting maize and defending the need for exports to the region.
5. The food prices reached an all time high and mealie-meal has been trading above K320.
6. Here we are now, with the population facing expensive food prices and over 6million people especially the rural population facing famine, President Hichilema has refused to take action against officers that brought us to this unmitigated disaster.
7. We had severe droughts in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
But because Government had adequate stocks in its national strategic reserves, there was no begging or food insecurity that rose. Government did not need to import maize,let alone, yellow maize.
7. Clearly, President Hichilema must take some blame, accept the mistakes made, apologise to the people, and fire those that have caused the food insecurity.
It is at this stage that he may seek stakeholders cooperation and understanding.
