There is increasing demand for maize by Zambia’s regional neighbors with over 500,000 metric tons being sought including East Africa facing food shortage following drought.
Kenya and other countries in East Africa want in excess of 500,000 metric tons of the grain while regional neighbors, Malawi, Angola, DR Congo Mozambique and Namibia, among others want an estimated 800,000 metric tons to meet consumption needs, agriculture minister Reuben Mtolo told FRA.
“We are overwhelmed by inquiries from our neighbors and beyond, the region needs our maize while from East Africa, mainly Kenya, they are asking for over 850,000 metric tons as you know that country has not recovered from the drought,”
The increased demand comes in the wake of the Southern African state, the regional main food basket had during last season harvested 2.7 million metric tons in the 2021/22 season, 25% lower than a season earlier yield of 3.6, according to the national food production data.
The downturn in maize output is spurred by a reduction in the area planted during the season under review because of reduced subsidies to smallholder farmers because of delayed distribution of agriculture inputs coupled by the low rainfall pattern and the Fall Army Worms that affected most farming areas.
However, Minister Mtolo remains optimistic that the country would meet the demand for the maize grain, a major staple food in most African countries and remain food secure with the liberalisation of the market when it exports despite removing border restrictions that frustrated farmers who sought space storage of excess produce.
Zambia was still food secure as it had carryover stocks of 1.5 million tons with farmers, millers, grain traders and the nation’s Food Reserve Agency (FRA), Phiri said.
Recently the country’s largest farming group-ZNFY had contended that export restrictions were hampering grain prices and a loss of incomes among rural dwellers. In contrast, Zambia Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers had supported the ban the export of raw maize instead send finished products through maize meal to maximise foreign exchange earnings.
“Instead of exporting finished products such as mealie meal, the country still exports grain. Let there be policies that forbid the export of raw maize to maximize foreign exchange,” ZUFIAW president Ackim Mweemba had argued.
But ZNFU refuted Mweemba’s arguments. It argued the decision was retrogressive as it would further inflict poverty in rural areas while forcing the country to lose on regional maize market which fetches an average US$240/ton.
“The call on government by the Zambia Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers to ban maize exports so that the country only exports finished products in the form of mealie meal should be treated with utmost caution and be well thought through” farmers spokesperson Calvin Kaleyi said in a statement.
Short-changed export bans in recent seasons affected Zambia, costing the country over US$1 billion in revenue in recent years.
Zambia remains optimistic of remaining food secure despite geo-political differences that threaten Africa in the wake of the Russian-Ukraine crisis. Earlier World Food Programme projected food crisis for Africa which Minister Mtolo assured the stocks were enough to sustain the country over a year.
“We have over 1.2 million metric tons of maize in stock, and there is no need to panic. We have more maize than we need for a year and we are food-secure. Millers, on the other hand, have more than 300,000 metric tons, and this means we could be having more than 1.5 million tons in storage,”
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