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Zambia to run out of maize by June: president

Xinhua, January 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Zambian President Edgar Lungu said Wednesday the country would run out of maize stock by June and would need to import grain for domestic consumption.

Lungu revealed that during a meeting with traditional leaders in the south of the country as reported by a local radio.

Lungu said the government was planning to import maize from South America.

He attributed the shortage of the country's staple cereal to lack of rain during the farming season -- said to be the effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon.

Last week, Lungu appealed to the World Food Program (WFP) for food assistance, saying the country expected poor harvests this season due to lack of rain.

There have been calls for the government to ban the exports of maize to neighboring countries. Zambia has been exporting maize to neighboring countries including Zimbabwe and Malawi which are facing a critical food shortage.

A WFP report said 14 million people across southern Africa will face hunger as a prolonged drought last year and an even worse one this year wrecked harvests. Endit