Thursday, March 28, 2024

South Africa to import maize from Zambia

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Workers from the Food Reserve Agency packing maize at a shed in Choma
File: Workers from the Food Reserve Agency packing maize at a shed in Choma

South Africa is set to import more white maize from Zambia to prop up dwindling stocks from a harvest devastated by bad weather, trading and industry sources told Reuters last week.

Africa’s biggest producer of the crop imported 163 tonnes of white maize from Zambia in June, according to the South African Grain Information Service, as South Africa’s 2015 harvest is expected to fall by more than a third.

Three industry sources said South Africa would get an unspecified amount of maize as a back up to its reserves.

Zambia’s agriculture deputy minister said the government had issued maize export permits but declined to specify which countries shipments were destined or the quantity.

“We are exporting the maize because we need to create space for the new stock. Our storage capacity is only 1 million tonnes and we are expecting an additional 2.7 million tonnes of maize,” Agriculture deputy minister Greyford Monde told Reuters.

In March, Zambia said it planned to export 800,000 tonnes of white maize to neighbouring countries whose crops were devastated by floods although this season’s harvest was seen falling at least 18 percent to 2.7 million tonnes.

South Africa is expected to reap the lowest harvest of the staple since 2007 due to drought. The harvest is forecast to be a third less from last season’s produce of 14.25 million tonnes – the highest in 32 years.

Traders said prices for the maize contract for delivery in July fell 4.7 percent to 3,003 rand ($243) on Thursday following a Reuters report that South Africa booked white maize from Mexico.
White maize is a staple for the poor majority and working class while yellow maize is mainly used for animal feed in the poultry and pork industries.

Source: Thomson Reuters

17 COMMENTS

    • I was thinking the very exact thing lol. Zambia see the potential of Agriculture that you have. Invest in it.

  1. The forecast is another drought season and sporadic flooding. As we export we need to focus on reserves for next year. This is why GMO maize seed will make sense to beat these droughts and pests! Pride of eating GMOs will only cost us in terms of expensive and shortfalls of food!We have already “chewed” enough GMOs from the malls and its time we engineered suitable breeds for our country than live in denial!

  2. ZAMBIAN POLITICIANS SHOULD LEARN FROM THE STORY OF JOSEPH AND THE SEVEN YEAR FAMINE IN EGYPT AS TAUGHT FROM THE BIBLE. HAS ZAMBIA STOCKED ENOUGH FOOD TO LAST US MORE THAN THREE YEARS, JUST IN CASE THE CLIMATE DOES NOT FAVOR OUR COUNTRY NEXT AND OTHER SUBSEQUENT FARMING SEASONS. DO WE NEED TO WAKE UP?

  3. Zambia needs to invest more in farming , as the tide has changed zambia is favoured with good rains and vast trucks of land for farming ; it is better to insist on that which favours you than problematic copper industry . Better to deversify to see what works better , generally I have confidence in farming as it has lifted some poor nations to greatness.

  4. Zambia is a very very very blessed country. The leadership from independence though! lol. That has been the countries curse the leadership.

  5. As usual SA importing raw material from Zambia. Let’s export finished product like mealie meal packed in nice sacks. A journey starts with a step.

    • Air Mukwai,

      Ba air Mukwai. elyashi twalelolela ili. Now is the time for Southern province to support the government in power as it creates market for the province’s capital cash product. This is a great blessing indeed. in same vain the government should double the effort of support to the farmer. Empower the peasant farner.

      This year I shall be home to cultivate and plant more maize. I totally support the idea of exporting maize meal instead of maize….a finished product fetches more.

      Wooow…Viva ECL 2016 till 2021

  6. Have you guys seen how the copper price has collapsed. Being beggars, you will need to sell maize to get money for medical expenses abroad!

  7. The problem is most of the bloggers here live abroad. They argue without facts. Zambia consumption both human and animal is 1.8million tones. Zambia storage capacity is just about 1.2million. Zambia expects about 2.6 million tones harvest this season. So exporting maize to neighboring country to that much is on spot and not misplaced as some are insinuating. This must be encouraged. Mealie meal exports are not as promising as maize grain. So get facts and argue reasonably

    • @The Game:
      Mune, mune, mune, ala ichisungu chobe tesana mweeee. Better walembafye muchitundu you feel better to express yourself limbi ama-bloggers could understand you.

      Do you know the pros and cons of exporting raw material?

  8. Why export maize instead of final products………….we must create employment for our people here. Ban exporting of raw materials…maize.

    No vision leadership………singing praise where the GRZ should taken advantage of the situation in SA.

  9. walasa the game….. too much ubufontini from the guys in the diaspora!!!! try to read other sources especially publication by the ministry of agriculture, FRA, FAO, WHO, IFAD on zambia. The only problem with you zambians is that you are too lazy when it comes to reading. Others have not even read this article but are quick to comment. Shame!!!!

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