Zambia will adjust its national budget in order to ensure food security as drought hits the country's 6 provinces, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema said on Thursday at a meeting with church leaders in the capital, Lusaka.
"We have to realign our budget and push more resources into assuring that our citizens won't go hungry irrespective of what the situation may be," he noted.
The leader added that the Food Reserve Agency of the southern African nation is ready to buy all crops grown within the country to guarantee an adequate food supply for its citizens.
The insufficient rainfall poses a threat to reducing electricity generation at hydropower plants located in the southern region of the country, according to the head of state.
Zambia's Agriculture Minister Reuben Phiri said on Wednesday that the staple crop, corn, will not be exported by the country until the government determines the quantity of stock available following the upcoming harvest.
The drought was preceded by a heavy rainy season, exacerbating the situation in the country, which has been suffering from a cholera outbreak since October last year.