Government says the country has recorded a total net deficit of 2.1 million metric tons of maize equivalent.
Minister of Agriculture, Ruben Mtolo says the reduction in production for most of the crops has resulted into the national food balance sheet for cereals and tubers for the 2024 to 2025 marketing season to reflect a deficit in the country’s food supply.
Mr Mtolo said this during the official announcement of the crop forecasting survey results for the 2023-2024 agricultural season and the food security status for the 2024 marketing season in Lusaka.
“Zambia has recorded a net deficit of 1,323,288 metric tons for maize, a net deficit of 55,138 metric tonnes for paddy rice, net deficit of 225,296 metric tons for wheat, and net deficit of 548,644 metric tonnes for cassava flour. Overall, the country has a total net deficit of 2,107,745 metric tons of maize equivalent,” he explained.
The agriculture minister stated that the government is however facilitating for the importation of more than 600,000 metric tons of white non-GMO maize to mitigate the deficit for the 2024/2025 marketing season to provide relief and support to drought affected households.
Mr Mtolo indicated that the importation will enable the Food Reserve Agency to enhance community maize sales to create easy access of the staple crop to affected households.
“ It is government’s commitment and duty to transform the agriculture sector and promote private sector participation in the production and marketing of agricultural commodities, “ he said.
Mr Mtolo added that the government is engaging farmers and farmer entities to undertake the production of winter and early maize to cover up the deficit in the 2024-2025 marketing season.
The Minister highlighted that government is reforming the FISP by migrating 74 districts on e-voucher in order to give farmers more flexibility on the type of inputs they can access under the programme.
He further disclosed that the ministry will in the next few days flag off the distribution of fertilizer under the FISP direct input supply mode which will be implemented in 42 districts.
Mr Mtolo further assured all stakeholders that the government is looking forward to engage all players in effectively implementing the agriculture reform agenda to meet the ministry’s key development targets.
And speaking at the same event, Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Outlook Research Director, Brian Mulenga said the regional supplies of cereals will not be sufficient to meet demand hence the Tanzania maize will highly be sought after and prices expected to edge up.
Dr Mulenga noted that the deficit of the cereal in the region will mount pressure on Food Reserve Agencies to replenish stocks and likely to push prices up and influence flow of informal trade.
He urged that the regional trade and deep seas imports will be key in supplying deficit countries and stabilize prices adding that governments should provide targeted subsidies to cushion poor households from food inflation.
Most part of the Southern Africa including Zambia has been experiencing climate change pattern marked by an El Nino signal which is often associated with reduced rainfall.
