The crop forecasting survey results for the 2021/2022 agricultural season and the food security status for the 2022/2023 marketing season show that the production of maize is expected to decrease by 25.24 per cent from 3,620,244 metric tons to 2,706,243 metric tons recorded in the 2020/2021 season.
And the production of cassava, millet, sorghum and rice, and Irish potatoes, is also expected to decline.
Agriculture Minister Rueben Phiri says the decrease in maize production is a result of a reduction in the area planted from 1,687,929 hectares last season to 1,507,441 hectares this season coupled with a reduction in the yields from 2.14 metric tons per hectare last season to 1.80 metric tons per hectare this season.
Mr Phiri says of the total estimated production of 2,706,243 metric tons of maize, the small and medium scale farming households are expected to contribute 96 per cent while the large-scale farmers are projected to contribute 4 per cent.
And Mr Phiri says as of 1st May 2022, the total carryover stocks held by farmers, millers, grain traders and the food reserve agency was 1,503,432 metric tons.
Speaking when he announced the crop forecasting survey results for the 2021/2022 agricultural season, Mr. Phiri says given the estimated production of 2,706,243 metric tons of maize and the carryover stocks, the total available maize supply in the 2022/2023 agricultural marketing season is 4,209,675 metric tons against the country’s population which is estimated at 19.2 million.
He says the estimated national requirement for maize to meet consumption demand is estimated at 3,004,763metric tons.
Mr. Phiri says the country is expected to have a surplus of 1,204,912 metric tons of maize.
The Minister has since reiterated that government will maintain its open border policy for exports in line with regional and international trade protocols.
Praise singers, any comments?
I will be lucky to realize even fifty bags. The inputs came late and the type of seed maize was not suitable for the rain pattern experienced.
Praise singers only sing when their god arrests PF members.
Apa ama prices of commodities are not selective like the selective arrests we have seen in the past days. The price of saladi for anti-upnd is the same as praise singers, naikosa bonse
New dawn hahaha ati we voted for change and yet these dull f00Is are worse off under this government. Those diasporans who were urging you to vote upnd are enjoying worry free whilst you are suffering here in zambia
The reason maize production is down is because farmers were discouraged to grow maize under PF who with their silly export bans where only a handful of PF cadres were allowed to export made it a non profitable crop.
Next year expect us to have a bumper harvest as maize prices this year will be good thanks to the export market and more farmers Wil be encouraged to grow the crop.
#5 That’s shallow….whose bumper harvest are you exporting? Isn’t this low harvest coming after Upnd allowed exports of the commodity? You are not even a farmer so you don’t understand the dynamics that affect harvest. In spite of their shortcomings the PF did well in the distribution of in puts which resulted in successive good harvests.
Production is even going to reduce further this year unless government intervenes in the high price of fertilizer. Expect shortages next year and after that I expect the minister to resign.