Zambia’s 2022/23 maize harvest is anticipated to be 25,2% less than final 12 months’s. The crop has been forecast at 2,7 million heaps, when put next with 3,62 million heaps recorded in 2021/2022.
The rustic’s minister of agriculture, Reuben Phiri, ascribed the drop to a decline within the house planted from 1,69 million hectares final season to one,51 million hectares this season.
“That is coupled with a discount in yield from 2,14t/ha final season to one,8t/ha right through the duration underneath evaluation,” he informed Meals Trade Africa.
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Phiri mentioned the rustic’s small- and medium-scale farming families had been anticipated to give a contribution 96% of this 12 months’s harvest, with large-scale farmers making up the remaining.
In line with him, Zambia would stay food-secure, as the full carryover shares held by means of farmers, millers, grain buyers and the rustic’s Meals Reserve Company (FRA) had stood at 1,5 million heaps on 1 Would possibly 2022.
The FRA used to be established to verify a competent provide of designated agricultural commodities, meet native shortfalls, and stabilise costs.
In line with fra.org.zm/, the FRA’s objective is to finish the worth chain by means of offering marketplace get right of entry to to small- scale farmers in rural spaces. Additionally it is liable for the control of meals emergencies led to by means of herbal failures.
“The entire to be had maize provide within the 2022/23 agricultural advertising season is 4,21 million heaps, enough to satisfy the estimated native call for of 3 million heaps,” Phiri added.
The retail value for maize in Zambia on 26 June 2023 hovered between R7,46/kg and R9,91/kg.