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Food Reserve Act, No 6 of 2020

Country/Territory
Zambia
Document type
Legislation
Date
2020
Source
FAO, FAOLEX
Long title
An Act to continue the existence of the Food Reserve Agency and re-define its functions; re-constitute the Board of the Agency; to continue the existence of the National Strategic Food Reserve; to repeal and replace the Food Reserve Act, 1995; and to provide for matters connected with, or incidental to the foregoing.
Subject
Agricultural & rural development, Food & nutrition
Keyword
Agricultural commodities Agricultural development Food security Institution Capacity building Cereals/grains/rice Food quality control/food safety Inspection Local government Policy/planning Transport/storage
Geographical area
Africa, Eastern Africa, Landlocked Developing Nations, Least Developed Countries
Abstract

This repeals the Food Reserve Act of 1995 and essentially continues the already established Food Reserve Agency as a legal entity. The Agency functions to market and trade a designated agricultural commodity. Other functions of the agency include; to purchase, import, sell, trade or export a designated agricultural commodity; to establish, manage, lease, and maintain a storage facility and equipment to be used in relation to a designated agricultural commodity; to collect information related to the marketing of a designated agricultural commodity; and to advise the Minister on matters relating to the National Strategic Food Reserve. The Act provides for the constitution of the board of the agency, its administration and constitution. The board is to have representation for among others, small scale farmers, large scale farmers, millers, grain traders, and ministerial representatives for agriculture, fisheries and livestock, finance, commerce, trade and industry. The Act continues the already established National Strategic Food Reserve and states its purpose as including to; maintain the type and quantity of a designated agricultural commodity as determined by the Agency; ensure a reliable supply of a designated agricultural commodity for the country; meet local shortfalls in the supply of a designated agricultural commodity; meet a food emergency caused by drought, flood or by other natural disaster, for the purposes of this Act, that may be declared by the President; and correct problems relating to the supply of a designated agricultural commodity arising from the manipulation of prices ormonopolistic trading practices. The Act also creates certain roles for the Minister with regards to the National Strategic Food Reserve, including, to approve the quantity of a designated agricultural commodity to be maintained in, sold, traded or issued from the Food Reserve, to cause the collection of data for the purposes of national food security, to cause the preparation of the National Food Balance Sheet, to cause the inspection and verification of stock levels of designated agricultural commodities, among other roles. The standard expected of the Agency in handling a designated agricultural commodity is that of quality, condition, quantity and grade, in accordance with the Zambia Bureau of Standards.

Full text
English