OVER 5 METRIC TONS OF GMO MEALIE MEAL GOES MISSING AT A MILITARY WAREHOUSE AT KASUMBALESA BOARDER

OVER 5 METRIC TONS OF GMO MEALIE MEAL GOES MISSING AT A MILITARY WAREHOUSE AT KASUMBALESA BOARDER

...raising concerns the staple food might be offloaded on the Zambian market.
 By Alfonso Kasongo
Two hundred and twelve by 25 KG bags of genetically modified (GM) mealie meal amounting to 5.3 metric tonnes have been stolen at a heavily manned military warehouse at Kasumbalesa borader in Chililabombwe district.

The stolen mealie meal valued at K68,000 was meant for export to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from South Africa by the Zambia National Service (ZNS) managed Eagles Holding Milling, a military wing in the Zambia Defence Force.

The importation and transit of the mealie meal produced from genetically modified maize to DRC has been controversial, with stakeholders raising some concerns that the product might find itself on the local market.

They fear that GMO mealie meal is not safe for human consumption and placing it on the local market will compromise the current biotechnology law.

Meanwhile the military wing has warned against placing on the Zambian market, the stolen mealie meals as doing will be going against the biotechnology and biosafety laws.

ZNS Chief of Marketing and Public Relations, Colonel Mulenga Nyone confirmed the development saying the occurrence is "a slap in the face in supplementing government's efforts in generating additional resources to complement those coming from the treasury."

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