Zambia has returned to bumper Maize harvest this year after it recorded an estimated 3,387,469 metric tonnes in the 2019/2020 agriculture season.
This is an increase from the 2,004,389 metric tonnes produced last season and represents an increase of 69 percent.
Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo announced this when he released the 2019/2020 Crop Forecast Survey in Lusaka on Wednesday.
Mr Katambo said since the country had a maize carry-over stock amounting to 179,247 metric tonnes as at 1st May, 2020, the total supply of Maize available for the 2020/2021 marketing season is now 3,566,716 metric tonnes.
“If you take into account that traditionally, the Food Reserve Agency’s buying target has been 500,000 metric tonnes, the surplus this year would be more than 710,000 metric tonnes. However, as a Ministry, this year, we have factored in a purchase target of 1,000,000 metric tonnes for the Agency in our cereals balance sheet. Despite factoring in the higher FRA maize purchase target of 1,000,000 metric tonnes, the country has still managed to record a maize surplus of over 210,000 metric tonnes in 2020. What this now implies, is that the country is food secure and will remain as such for the next year to come, provided smuggling is controlled,” Mr Katambo stated.
He added, “Our small and medium scale farmers are expected to contribute up to 93 percent or 3,160,185 metric tonnes of the total Maize production, while the large scale farmers are expected to produce 227,284 metric tonnes of Maize or 7 percent of the total maize production.”
Mr Katambo attributed the increase in maize production can be largely attributed to favorable weather, the early delivery of inputs under the farmer input support programme, and the renewed confidence in growing maize.
Put your house in order
Truthfully speaking, bumper harvests in Zambia have not translated into anything beneficial to the common man. And also we are a country whose vision is not there, how can one selling maize or mealie meal to Congo be dubbed as smuggling. That is a lucrative market for Zambia. The government can diversify and start growing maize through out the year for the yawning congo market and rake in the much needed forex, the price in Congo is great, replace the word smuggling and encourage exports at a good return,Open your eyes imwe vibanthu imwe
This is good news for the country. Now offer a good and reasonable purchase price to the farmer and announce this floor price soon before exploitation takes root. We know that the law of supply and demand may be at play here but the government must motivate and give incentives to the farmer. We don’t want to hear stories that the government has no money to pay the farmers. Food reserve agency must be managed as a profit making entity. Not this business of always waiting to receive funding from the government. Already you can start by exporting last years curry over stokes to raise seed money to start paying the farmers. Bear in mind our maize price is the lowest in the scdc region. There is high demand for maize from our neighboring countries. Maize fetches $6000 per tone in…
DM – you can not change the economics of maize growing…the moment you buy your maize you are already at a loss…maize is a political crop!!
Only a foooool would believe forecasts by this thief Michael Katambo and PF
Whoever supplies to the FRA does so at their own risk.
SUCCESS. Our Agri industry is beginning to show successful policies by PF. Supporting the industry timely and the new opening up of cooperatives and free marketing has lead to a rejuvenation with visible upwards results.
Keep it up PF. Well done. 2021 again because opposition only know to complain and malign.
Shooting themselves in the foot! This so called bumper harvest should translate to lower cost of
Mealie meal
That this is good news, we need to be atert that some farmers are in the tendency of selling whole fields of maize to foreigners. this could jeopardise our counting of the bumper harvest.
Another bumper harvest, kz come back soon
Very good, timely and welcome news amid this covid-19 crisis. God be praised for blessing our land. Well done PF GRZ.
These chaps are dull. Does he remember that there a drought last season? People have just managed to recover from drought effect on their own and you go on the mountain mentioning rubbish.
This bumper harvest will go into another maize gate scandal.
According to the PF and Edgar Lungu agriculture means maize and FISP, he can as well call it Ministry of FISP & Maize. Songowayo Zyambo is just being wasted as PS because the PF don’t have a plan to turn agric into serious business. FRA is a bottomless pit, every year they seek funding from the Treasury but can’t explain how the money they realize from sale of maize is spent
Micheal Katambo? Another Bemba? Can anyone convince me that there is a ministry in PF gvnmnt led by a Tonga? So who is tribalist in Zambia?