Milupi doubts if Zambia will increase maize production

ADD President Charles Milupi

Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) President Charles Milupi doubts Zambia will be able to increase maize production to 10 million metric tons per year in view of the high cost of production.

Mr Milupi notes that the cost of production is currently too high for the country to move from producing two million metric tons to ten million metric tons per year.

He says if government should considering addressing the high cost of maize production if such a target is to be attained.

Mr Milupi has told QTV News that from his experience as a farmer, he believes tonnage per hector can be increased if the cost of inputs is lowered and fixed.

He states that the focus of government should therefore be to ensure that the tonnage per hector is increased to at least 9 bags of maize but with the same fixed production costs.

Mr Milupi says if Zambia is able to increase tonnage in this way, the cost of producing one bag of maize will in fact be much lower than it is today.