Namibia seeks to buy maize

LUSAKA – Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia and two other nations want to buy a total of 240 000 tonnes of white maize from Zambia but the African country plans to export only 100 000 tonnes, a senior industry official said at the end of last week.

The state Food Reserve Agency (FRA) said Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had also requested to purchase white maize from Zambia after President Levy Mwanawasa lifted a maize export ban in July. Mwanawasa, who suspended maize exports in 2005 after Zambia experienced a deficit of its staple food, lifted the ban in July and authorised the FRA to export only 100 000 tonnes maize.FRA Executive Director Anthony Mwanaumo told Reuters that the FRA was looking at the logistics of exporting the maize and negotiating prices.Nampa-ReutersMwanawasa, who suspended maize exports in 2005 after Zambia experienced a deficit of its staple food, lifted the ban in July and authorised the FRA to export only 100 000 tonnes maize.FRA Executive Director Anthony Mwanaumo told Reuters that the FRA was looking at the logistics of exporting the maize and negotiating prices.Nampa-Reuters