AGRICULTURE and Livestock Minister Emmanuel Chenda has assured that the decision by Government to lift the ban on maize and wheat bran exports, will not impact on domestic demand as only the surplus will be exported.

Mr Chenda also called on all stakeholders in the agriculture sector to regulate themselves and act responsibly following Government's decision to effect the move.

He advised millers not to be greedy by exporting all the bran at the expense of the Zambian livestock farmers..

The Government did not expect any stakeholder or farmer to view the lifting of the ban as an act of betrayal of the livestock farmers..

Mr Chenda said the Government and the private sector agreed during the consultative meeting that the exports of maize and wheat would be undertaken after giving priority to the domestic requirements and only surplus bran would be exported.

He said in a statement that his office had received concerns over the decision by Government that the lifting of the export ban would disadvantage the livestock industry.

Government explained that the nation and farmers in particular that the lifting of the export ban was based on a number of factors.

The Minister said Government conducted a spot check at various milling companies and found that the there was huge surplus of maize and wheat bran which had stock-piled since the export ban was effected this year in May.

Millers, he said, had complained that the high stock levels were causing storage problems and there was also an increased danger of the bran going to waste.

Mr Chenda said with only 60 days remaining before the onset of the rainy season, millers had further assured Government that there will be no price hike on the commodities while exports were going on.