By Hellen Bwalya
Luwingu, –Northern Province Permanent Secretary Bernard Mpundu has instructed District Commissioners in Northern Province to ensure that no maize grain leaves their boundaries without proper documentation.
Mr Mpundu said the Commissioners should work with District Joint Operation Committees in their respective districts to prevent private and briefcase buyers who are in the habit of enticing small scale farmers to sell their crops cheaply.
Mr Mpundu said this when he paid a courtesy call on Luwingu district Commissioner Chomba Chileshe.
Mr Mpundu said Northern is among the few provinces which received a favorable rainfall pattern unlike other areas which experienced drought.
He said the drought experienced in other provinces threatens national food security which is why Northern Province should secure its maize to aid the affected provinces.
Mr Mpundu said the DJOC should ensure that checkpoints are mounted in strategic areas to ensure no maize is taken out of the districts.
“I’m instructing District Commissioners to work with the DJOC in preventing the movement of maize from the districts,” Mr Mpundu said.
“You are all aware that this year, the country has been affected by drought thus provinces like ours which received enough rainfall should secure the maize,” he said.
And Luwingu District Commissioner Chomba Chileshe said the district will produce a bumper harvest.
He said the district received farming inputs in good time coupled with a favorable rainfall pattern this farming season.
Mr Chileshe also appealed to the Food Reserve Agency to consider opening more satellite depots in order to mop up all the maize.
He said it is sad that private buyers are already reportedly in fields trying to trick farmers into selling them their crops.
Meanwhile, Chieftainess Chungu of the Lungu people of Lupososhi district expressed concern with people already selling maize to private buyers.
The traditional leader said she has since held a sensitization meeting for zonal chairpersons in her chiefdom to discuss pertinent issues among them the need to preserve maize.
“I have called my zone chairpersons who are gathered here at the palace and one of the issues being discussed is the issue of discouraging our subjects from selling their maize fields.” He said
ZANIS
