Food Reserve Act, 2026 (Act No. 6 of 2026).

This Act, comprising 33 sections, aims to regulate the Food Reserve Agency, established under the repealed Act, responsible for managing the National Strategic Food Reserve in a cost effective and transparent manner, ensuring national food security, procuring, storing and disposing of designated agricultural commodities, establishing pricing for reserve restocking, collaborating with relevant agencies, supporting commodity purchases, operating storage facilities, and advising the Minister on matters relating to the Strategic Food Reserve. The Board of the Agency - responsible for overseeing the Agency by providing strategic policy direction, approving its policies, budgets, plans and reports, monitoring and evaluating its performance, and promoting effective corporate governance - comprises representatives from the Ministries responsible for agriculture, finance, and commerce, trade and industry, the Attorney General, associations representing small-scale farmers, large-scale farmers, millers, and grain traders, and one private-sector member with relevant expertise appointed by the Minister.
Part III establishes the National Strategic Food Reserve (NSFR) as the country's principal mechanism for ensuring food security. It defines its purpose, management, procurement, and distribution framework. The main objectives of the National Strategic Food Reserve are to (i) maintain adequate stocks of designated agricultural commodities to safeguard national food security; (ii) address domestic shortages of essential food commodities; (iii) provide relief to vulnerable households and individuals during disasters and emergencies; (iv) respond to food shortages arising from emergencies; and (v) provide food aid to foreign countries, subject to Cabinet approval. The Minister is responsible for (i) overseeing the Reserve by approving the quantity and types of commodities to be maintained, sold, or released; (ii) collecting food security data; (iii) verifying stock levels; (iv) preparing the National Food Balance Sheet; and (v) designating the agricultural commodities that are essential for national food security each year. The Agency is responsible for managing the Reserve through the purchase, importation, storage, and sale of designated agricultural commodities. Procurement must be based on transparent market prices, include participation in rural markets, and follow an annually published procurement plan outlining quantities, procurement methods, payment periods, and purchasing locations. The Act also provides for the release and disposal of Reserve stocks, including sales for stock rotation, emergency relief, addressing domestic supply shortages, community sales, and exports on the recommendation of the Zambia Agricultural Marketing Council. Finally, Part III establishes quality assurance and enforcement measures, requiring commodities to comply with national standards for quality, grading, weighing, and measurement, while creating offences and penalties for supplying commodities that do not meet the prescribed standards.