By CHATULA KANGALI –
THE Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) plans to engage farmers on an out-grower programme as it plans to diversify from maize and wheat milling to include other crops.
MAZ president Andrew Chintala said in an interview that there was need for farmers to be engaged on the type of crops to be grown to facilitate diversification.
Mr Chintala said that millers in Zambia had for a long time concentrated on milling maize and wheat into mealie meal and flour respectively.
He said that it would be difficult for millers to start milling other crops because the availability of other crops was not certain.
“In as much as we would like to start  milling other  crops  like sorghum, cassava and millet  among others, we do not know the production  output of these crops,  so it  would  be difficult  for  millers  to plan,” he said.
Mr Chintala said that there was need for farmers and millers to dialogue on the type of crops and quantity to be grown to spearhead diversification in the milling sector.
He said in as much as farmers had diversified crop production, cultivation of some crops was not constant and sufficient.
He said that millers were ready to support farmers willing to constantly grow different types of crops needed for diversification.
Mr Chintala said diversification would help grow the milling sector as well as create more jobs for the locals.
He said that increased production of products would increase Zambia export milled products hence contributing to economic growth.
Mr Chintala said the milling sector in the country had continued to record growth and that a number of milling companies were being opened in the country.