Rice is one of the main foods that Zambians continue to adopt and consume with quantities or demand increasing year on year as urbanization takes root and the middle class expands.
Zambia being a vast country has areas and regions that are endowed and capable of growing enough rice that can meet local demand and even cater for the export market especially to nearby African countries.
So, we have various areas that grow rice which have even become part of the brand names for the locally grown rice. Some of the common local rice varieties are identified as Mongu rice, Chama rice and Nakonde rice right? Wrong…
When verified with local traders, it has been confirmed that only Mongu and Chama rice qualify to be marketed as locally grown rice brands. It has also been confirmed they there are no local people in Nakonde, Muchinga Province that grow rice at a large scale.
Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, the Cross Boarder Traders Association – CBTA Nakonde branch vice chairperson Michael Kanyanya has clarified that the rice that is commonly referred to as Nakonde rice is actually grown in Tanzania and is imported into Zambia.
He confirmed that people in Nakonde do not grow rice in notable quantities as only very small-scale rice farmers are there. “There are only very small scale farmers in Nakonde. Nakonde rice actually comes and is imported from Tanzania. In fact, we should stop calling it Nakonde and call it Tunduma rice or Tanzanian rice,” Kanyanya said.
He explained that the rice is not grown in Nakonde but its bought from Tunduma and then sold to Zambian people as Nakonde rice.
Kanyanya further stated that “People in Nakonde don’t grow rice. That rice is imported from Tanzania and enters through Nakonde border.“There is no such thing as Nakonde rice. People in Nakonde do not grow rice. That rice is imported from Tanzania and enters through Nakonde border.
So, next time you want to buy locally grown rice, consider Chama and Mongu rice!
