In what is seen as a partial lifting of the moratorium on grain exports, the Zambian government now allows the export of maize bran.

Maize bran is among commodities covered under an existing grain export ban. Raw maize and mealie-meal are the others.

The decision by government to allow the export of bran comes after increased pressure for the complete suspension of the grain export ban. Civil society groups are also urging government to completely lift the ban.

The Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) welcomed the decision by government to allow the export of bran. It is now in excess of 45,000 tons.

“We have a lot of maize bran in our storage facilities. This season the demand reduced locally, and this resulted into eating up a lot space,” MAZ president Andrew Chintala said.

According to MAZ, there is high demand for bran in Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other countries in the sub-region.

The local demand for maize bran declined as most farmers are feeding their cattle natural grass, thanks to good rain.

Meanwhile, Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) executive director Patrick Nshindano said government will do well to allow the export of maize and mealie-meal, as there is big international demand.

“Currently, the local market does not provide an environment where farmers can earn more profit from producing maize, but the demand from the international market presents an attractive market that can give farmers an opportunity to earn more money,” he said.