Zambia Metrology Agency has urged all grain buyers to ensure that their measuring instruments are verified and certified in accordance with the law as the country enters the grain marketing season.
ZMA Executive Director Humphrey Nkobeni said the Agency will intensify verification and inspection of all measuring instruments used in trade transactions involving the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), millers and private buyers.
Speaking during the First Quarter Performance Review Press Briefing in Lusaka today, Mr. Nkobeni said the exercise is aimed at ensuring fairness and transparency in grain trading, by confirming that all weighing and measuring equipment comply with the required legal metrology standards.
“As Zambia entres the grain market, we will intensify verification and inspection of all measuring instruments used in trade transactions involving the Food Reserve Agency, millers, and private buyers,” Mr. Nkobeni said.
Mr. Nkobeni emphasized that farmers must be paid accurately for every grain delivered and should not be shortchanged through incorrect or manipulated measurements.
He reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to protecting farmers and promoting confidence in the agricultural marketing system through accurate and reliable measurements.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nkobeni disclosed that the Agency successfully verified 8,759 petroleum measuring instruments across the country during the first quarter of 2026 as part of statutory verification and inspection activities.
He stated that ZMA further verified a total of 12,719 various measuring instruments against a target of 15,261, representing an 83 percent performance rate.
The verification exercise covered petroleum dispensing pumps, retail trade scales, manufacturing instruments such as auto-packers and fillers, industrial measuring systems and other regulated commercial instruments.
The ZMA Executive Director added that the Agency inspected 30 manufacturing facilities for compliance of pre-packaged products and recorded a 94.2 percent compliance rate to metrology requirements.
“Inspections of imported pre-packaged products recorded a compliance rate of 96.3%, while imported measuring instruments achieved 100 percent compliance,” he revealed.
Mr. Nkobeni, however, noted that some areas of non-compliance had been identified among certain small-scale producers and categories of measuring instruments.
“Targeted sensitization, enforcement and corrective interventions are being undertaken in quarter two to further strengthen national compliance levels,” he stressed.
He further disclosed that enforcement action was taken against six non-compliant entities during the quarter, while 12 consumer complaints relating to inaccurate measuring instruments, underweight pre-packaged products and other compliance breaches were investigated and resolved.
Mr. Nkobeni stressed that the Agency also operationalized the Mutual Recognition Framework Agreement with the Tanzania Weights and Measures Agency to facilitate smoother transportation and verification of petroleum products between Tanzania and Zambia.
He also announced that Zambia will join the rest of the world in commemorating the 2026 UNESCO World Metrology Day on May 20 under the theme “Metrology: Building Trust in Policymaking.”
