Agriculture and Livestock Minister Wilbur Simuusa has disclosed that Zambia’s estimated Maize production for the 2013/2014 season has recorded a 23 percent increase to stand at a record high of 3, 350, 671 metric tonnes.
Mr Simuusa told a media briefing in Lusaka that the national food balance sheet for Zambia shows that the country produced sufficient Maize for both human consumption and industrial use.
He stated that the country also has a carry-over stock amounting to 599,192 metric tonnes adding that most of that Maize is under safe storage with the FRA, private traders and commercial farmers.
“When we add this Maize carry over stock from last season to the forecast Maize production for the 2013/2014 agriculture season, the estimate for the total available Maize for the 2013/2014 marketing season is 3,947,863 metric tonnes,” Mr Simuusa said.
He added, “For an estimated population of 15.2 million people, the food balance sheet shows that a total maize required for human consumption is 1,532,194 metric tonnes. The estimated stock for industrial use, specifically stock feed and breweries is 355,630 metric tonnes.
These estimates on the Maize requirements include an anticipated Government strategic reserve stock of 500,000 metric tonnes to be held by the FRA.”
Mr Simuusa attributed the increase in Maize production to the total area Maize planted which increased by 8.15 percent or 106,924 hectares from 1,312,402 hectares.
“Small scale farmers as well as large scale farmers increased the area planted to Maize this year as a response to the favourable market prices that they received last season.
Small scale farmers increased hectarage planted to maize by 7.2 whilst large scale farmers increased hectarage planted by 89 percent.”
Mr Simuusa said there has been a general increase in investment in the agricultural sector as evidenced by increased lending to the sector as well as increased import of agriculture machinery and inputs such as fertilizers.
On Cassava, Mr Simuusa said, according to the crop forecast survey results, national cassava production for the 2013/2014 season has been estimated to be 919.497 metric tonnes of cassava flour equivalent, which is reduction of 1,114,583 metric tonnes.
Soya bean production also decreased by 17.97 percent to 214,179 metric tonnes in the 2013/2014 season from 261,063 metric tonnes recorded in the previous season.
Rice production has been estimated to be 49,640 metric tonnes during the 2013/2014 season, an increase of 10.93 percent compared to the production of 44,747 metric tonnes recorded during the 2012/2013 season.
“The balance sheet shows that the country has a rice carry over stock of 1,148 metric tonnes bringing total rice supply to 50,788 metric tonnes against a total requirement of 66,288 metric tonnes that is expected to be met by private sector commercial imports.”
On wheat estimates, Mr Simuusa said the wheat crop is currently being planted but added that estimates based on forecasted area to be planted indicate that Zambia is likely to attain production of 201,504 metric tonnes of wheat for the 2013/2014 season compared to 273, 584metric tonnes produced in 2012/2013, representing a projected 26.35 percent decrease in wheat production.
Cotton production has decreased by 13.80 percent to 120, 314 metric tonnes in the 2013/2014 season compared to 139,583 metric tonnes in the 2012/2013 season.
Tobacco production is forest to increase by 19.29 percent to 35,669 metric tonnes in the 2013/2014 season compared to 139, 583 metric tonnes in the 2012/2013 season.
Sorghum production has also decreased by 22.80 percent to 11,557 metric tonnes in the 2013/2014 season from 14.971 metric tonnes in the previous season.
He also said that an announcement of the FRS purchase price for Maize for the 2013/2014 marketing season will soon be made.
Bumper harvests and PF govt in the same sentence? It sounds incongruous or incompatible.
In that case we unanimously decide and demand you, the PF continue in power so that these bumper harvest continues. Need i remind everyone this is the reason why we voted them to take over from MMD.
On behalf of all the readers we say congratulations.
Please continue leading us in this way now and forever.
Thanks
Better to shut up and wait until the price of mealimeal falls. Only then can you begin to mouth off. We have heard this before and yet food prices continue to rise.
It would have made a lot of sense if Simuunsa had quoted the figures in comparison to 2010/2011 before PF took over. Agricultural output fell by 45% after PF took over and continued to fall by another 33% in 2012/2013. This 23% jump is but just a drop in the ocean compared to the 78% fall in two previous agricultural seasons.
@ Wanzelu….. ” RECORD HIGH!!!!!!!!!!!”… means never been recorded to date.. icisungu.. Mwaletoba sana ku sukulu.. Maize meal and mealie meal is now good business with no Government intervention.. There is enough bare land for everyone to grow it.. besides no need for title deeds.. people just grow maize on empty land in Zambia even if it isn’t their’s.. the owners, if there’s one, in exchange just say give us some of the crop when ready.. start planting and growing maize instead of moaning.. Fye ba nobe we planted when we say this excellent crop price for raw maize… BUSINESS..
This is an estimate and should not be given as gospel truth. The “Post” is reporting it as fact. Politicking????? Sad.
With the export of maize being allowed, the kwacha will stabilise and the hater are gonna hate.Bravo to a working Government.
Useless Simuusa is talking about estimates here,,,,,,,,, how can estimates be bumper harvest? actual figures “make“ bumper harvest or otherwise,,,,,,,,
and 2013/14 was bananas in terms of farming inputs distribution,,,, how can you claim bumper harvest
@Digga
In an effort to sound more linguistically ahead of me , you have instead laid bare your inadequacies in understanding and interpreting the Queens’ language.
Those figures quoted by your useless minister would only qualify to be considered record high if they are compared to some figures in the past like I said. The term “record” refers to something new, never been achieved before.
Besides I am involved in serious farming at home, and harvesting of maize has not yet commenced so where has this guy got those figures. Is it a case of “PF donchi kubeba” as usual.
PF messed up farming season big time. No amount of cooking figures will mitigate the impact their poor policies have had on agriculture and the economy as a whole.
PF are a just a bunch of liars period!
whether that is real or not, it maybe true with the figures given. Zambia last year had more maize wasting, and some which was given at reduced price to millers to stabilize m/m prices. Friends, mothers, fathers and rest, people are picking up major projects for Zed, be it within shortfalls or abundance. Make hay within that for yourselves or your country. You surely dont expect that falling toilet to be fixed by government, even your mindset so long your hope is for manna to fall down
…but we havent started harvesting. Ya ba…. The Post is something else.
More PF BUFI!
This ignoramus is extrapolating planted areas. But with late fertilizer deliveries yields will be 50% of estimates.
LT, keep this article to show this clown in six months time!
I hear harps
Wanzelu ndiwe chikopo pamozi na Ndobo. From time immemorial, estimates have been given of production and follow surveys done to validate the earlier estimates and the variance is very insignificant. I work in the ministry of Agriculture and taken part in these surveys and can assure you that what the minister has said is what is on the ground. You will die of hatred. I am not PF and I don’t like them but I will not sink low like you guys to dispute figures generated by professionals. FYI the crop forecast survey is conducted by technocrats of the ministry of agric and Central statistical office. So that is correct. We have not had almost 4 million tons of maize in Zambia in a long time. Sometimes just be sober minded.
We want the bumper harvest to be translated into cheaper mealie meal, otherwise we will say it is all lies, bufi, boza etc etc. And please pay the farmers for their labor. The farmers have delivered despite the confused input supply by Paya Farmer (PF). The challenge will now be output marketing. Good marketing of the maize should help to bring in the dollar and hence stabilization of the exchange rate. No restrictions on exports of both maize and maize brawn bwana Minister of Agriculture.
AND PIPO WERE ALWAYS ATTACKING BOB SICHINGA.BOB CAN ALWAYS DELIEVER
I totally agree with wanzelu. We have not yet started harvesting so where has the figures for bumper harvest come from? It is better to wait for the actual harvest figures. Besides there is a legalised smuggling of maize and mealie meal into congo under the guise of export permits. This is done by pf big shots from Lusaka while small scale farmers are brutalised by the pf police just for selling a bag of maize at kasumbalesa market on the Zambian side. If the bumper harvest has to make sense Hon. Simusa allow farmers from Mkushi, Monze, mpongwe etc to sell their maize freely at kasumbalesa market like it was done under the previous government before. If small scale farmers What is happening at kasumbalesa where small scale farmers are criminalised is a big let down from the pf Government.
Bernard,
I beg you not to come on public fora and show your ignorance. It is better to just ask how this information is generated and people will help you understand. Refer to my post somewhere on one of the comments for Wanzelu and you will see how this information is generated. Regards
But you guys, how can we simply evaluate agric performance on the basis of maize production and claim someone has been vindicated. The estimates from the minister are clear:
cassava production has decreased
soya production has decreased
Rice production has increased
Wheat has decreased by 26%
Sorghum production has decreased
Now judge for yourselves this kind of performance in the agric sector!
There are a lot of reductions in productions without any explanation. Simuuuuuusa pls any scientific explanations. You are dealing with intelligent bloggers unlike PF cadres who never analyze issues. Don’t be as useless as your finance minister and BOZ governor
You and Wanzelu are the only two people who can interpret statistics. Truth is Agricultural production is shrinking under the PF government.
Boza!
My I take is opportunity to say Mushota is mentally disturbed you don’t need to be a psychiatrist to notes.
As for Wilbur Simusa Now I know why Presido Sata calls you Useless because of such behaviour of lying to please The presido. We do not need PHDs to see that you are Lying. So don’t you feel that Ka shy when Telling lies or its now used such that you see things the opposite way?
Central statistics “SUSPECT”
Last year your HH told us the will be hunger. We produced 2.47million tonnes of maize and no hunger despite exports to zim, Tanzania, Malawi & DRC. This time we tell 3.3 million you still are arguing. Bushe mwe ba tonga what do you want? By the way maize production has move north. Visit north and you will see the fields for yourselves
Now I see why PF cadres are not frequent bloggers. I now see.
This is what am talking about !! Thanks PF for making this possible.
If anything, the bumper harvest happened in spite of PF not because – the fertilizer and seed were late, but so too were the rains!
BUFI.
Bob Sichinga has been vindicated. Anyway even RB has agreed that agriculture is booming in Zambia. You people who wish PF and Sata to fail have been done a death blow. With infrastructure development going on now come 2016 UPND and your HH will cry like an under five kid receiving an injection in a new clinic built by Sata in Monze.
Wanzelu or whatever you call yourself learn to read. If you scroll up and read the related news section at the end of this article you will note that as way back as 2009 production estimates were released in May before your harvesting garbage. So your stupid remarks of how did the minister get the estimates is not only shallow but reflects your inability to read. Grow up
You are sick baba! Tell me how those figures were generated without referring to 2009? How were they generated?
@Peter Phiri
Its unfortunate that every normal jim and jack now knows what a bunch of liars PF are. So no amount of spin will change this perception. PF has not and will admit when they get things wrong. Bob Sichinga was removed from Agri ministry because of the mess he caused. To save face, Sata got a Tonga chap to cover up Sichinga’s mess. By then damage had already been done.
Come November this year PF will be under pressure because of food riots. This kind of spin by useless PF ministers characterised KK ‘s regime but it did very little to avoid food riots that led to KK and UNIP.’s down fall.
2016 PF kuyabebele.
Mpundu, Wanzelu, and others,
Here is how is this data is generated. Teams of agricultural economists and extension officers are deployed across the country to the remotest parts and they garther information on what houses and commercial farmers are expected to produce.
Don’t just jump at condemning things you don’t know. This is an exercise that is done every year from way back. Learn to ask if you don’t know anything. Even in Rupiah’s time, Mwanawasa’s Chiluba’s, KK’s this used to be done. It helps the country in planning. I hope that helps.
I dont see anything in Bumper havest bcoz the price of mealie meal will still be going up,no use wheather bumper or no bumper there will be no difference,we are even used now to the song of bumper
Remember these are same idio.ts who lied about the number of jobs they created.
Therefore, you need to be a fool to believe this bumper harvest gobbledygook.
By the way, how do you generate these figures when some people have not even started harvesting? Idiotic liars!
The same maize will not be purchased from poor farmers while the little that will be bought will take months to be paid for. So what’s there to celebrate about bumper harvest? Bumper harvest is only for Sata-n and his thieves not for ordinary people who have to do donkeywork every day to find food.
Mpundu Banda the same way there were estimated in 2009. At that time you celebrated without asking what has changed. If you are a farmer you should know that the is a formula used based on land tillage, type of seed used and condition of the crop. You can google this it is not rocket science. Sorry I forgot that you are semi illiterate.
PF govt playing the game of hidden statistics,smoke and mirrors with an ill educated public.Hakuna mazao kwa wingi hapa,jinga kabisa.
A tick-off for PF. Or is this just a consolation goal?
Lying about harvest, but kwena eee Zambia yasila.
Zambians are farmers naturally!
It’s not a surprise that they always want to produce more and more.
Let us just take the toxic cheap politicking out of this!
Moreover, most farmers have now resorted to buying their own fertilizer at market rates.
Let us just agree to remove the PIG from Agriculture and just liberalize the sector.
I believe Chiluba (MHSRIP) laid a Solid foundation for our economy on which Mwanawasa (MHSRIP) could build.
Let us make Agriculture a real business and let FRA compete with other buyers. No spoon-feeding!
Let each farmer invest in good storage facilities and wait for the right time to sell profitably. The PIG must not get involved. The market forces will take care of things.
The facts are on the table. Pf is working. Seka uponokwe. Ba opposition I think tu ipone fye.
Lies Lies and more damn lies. The propaganda machine is in full swing.
some baby monkeys are here busy praising their leader for a good harvest look here you noisy fools the truth is that zambia will only be productive when lazy monkeys in muchinga and nothern start contributing to the national basket.
What is the problem? Last year your HH went around saying that the would be hunger, zero this didn’t happen. We tell you we have 3.3million tonnes to be harvested you say no. Tell us what data your assessment ba HH is saying.
Animal Farm again.This year u wil fill the empty bags with sand.Celebrate the bumper harvest and we see our price of kaunga(kabunga) go up.things wil b cheap in 2016 to dup would b votors then if they win,2017 wil be disaster.
Ati the 23% increase in yield is due to an 8% increase in cultivated land. In the wake of poor and late distribution of inputs for FISP and increased cost of fertilizer and fuel for commercial farmers?
logic ba minister!
And someone says this report was produced with the input of experts? professionals? This is laughable
So this army of agricultural experts has been to the country side ploughing through all the rough terrain free of charge. I thought we had no money for a census. More clarity is needed. Do they estimate from some office or what? I asked a few friends, no one saw these people at their farms asking questions. So how are the estimates really done?
At last we can see things have started to shape up in Zambia, we are experiencing a lot of change in our country, in terms of development. The opposition have started to panic they know that palibe chao come 2016.
These Results are from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock not from the PF Party. The Ministry has been doing these since early 70’s they use Scientifically proven methodology to carry out this survey. For all my learned Friends who want to critique the methodology your free to first learn of the methodology being used. IT is a FORECAST I hope we understand what that means. 680 Standard Enumeration Areas (SEA) are selected randomly from agricultural SEAS countrywide. In each of these SEA’s 20 households are sampled and interviewed.
oh yes i have seen some people doing this under a tree and then then you claim its real. for your own information, why is it that CSO population is always disputed? under the tree manufacturing of figures. i would rather actually rely on rural health centre population figures per catchment to come up with population. so in the same vein, i wouldnt agree with these results
Mr Simuusa attributed the increase in Maize production to the total area Maize planted which increased by 8.15 percent or 106,924 hectares from 1,312,402 hectares.
how much deforestation is this. what % is virgin land converted to unsustainable current agricultural practices?
i very much doubt these figures and only time will tell whether the Honorable minister is telling the truth, but since my opinion is based on my observation without figures, i will give him the benefit of doubt. i urge all of us bloggers to keep these figures so that there is no more back peddling when time for reckoning comes – which is not very far. come October, i can assure you we will have no food
This is sad news for HH and it is too much for him this week. It was just yesterday that we heard that people in the copperbelt have bought land for only ZMk 50. Sorry underfive. Come and get affrodisiac so that you tomba your wife Mutinta
it is only sad news for you since it will be you who will fail to buy the bunga at the forth coming price. PF is full of ubufi. Where is the maize they are talking about? Wait and see another lie come to maturation just like the 90days lies you were given or is it the lies you gave?