Top news items in major Zambian media outlets

The following are the news highlights of Zambia's major media outlets on Sunday.

-- Zambian President Edgar Lungu has launched construction works for the first ever solar power plants, making Zambia the first African country to implement the World Bank Group's scaling solar program. (ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL)

-- The police in Zambia have canceled a planned rally by the main opposition party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), which was meant to officially launch the party's campaign for the forthcoming general election.

The opposition party had planned to hold the rally on May 14 in Kitwe city in the Copperbelt Province.

Zambia will hold general elections on August 11. (DAILY NATION)

-- Grain traders in Zambia have warned that there will be extensive pressure on the country's maize stocks during the forthcoming crop marketing season owing to heightened regional demand.

Chambuleni Simwinga, the association's executive director said this would trigger more informal exports of the commodity unless stringent measures were put in place to curb the illicit outflows. (THE POST)

-- Zambia's power utility said an electricity deficit the country was facing will continue because the main power plant was far from reaching its maximum power generation capacity.

Zambia has been facing a power deficit since June last year due to reduced water levels, forcing the power utility to ration electricity for as long as eight hours. (DAILY NATION) Endit