Zambia to record bumper harvest

Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya

Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya has announced that Zambia will once again record a bumper harvest for the 2016/17 farming season with an estimated maize production of 3, 606, 549 metric tonnes.
And Government has with immediate effect lifted the ban on the export of maize to other countries.
Ms Siliya has told news conference in Lusaka that the country has a maize carryover stock of 569, 317 metric tonnes as at 1st May, 2017.
She says of this stock, the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is holding 270, 254 metric tonnes, the grain traders association 206, 388 metric tonnes, large scale farmers 4, 503 metric tonnes and small medium farmers are holding 28, 172 metric tonnes.
She explains that when the maize carryover stock from last year is added to the maize production for the 2016/17 farming season, the total supply of maize available for this season is 4, 175, 866 metric tonnes.
She states that the food balance sheet shows that the total maize required for human consumption, industrial use and other commitments amounts to 2, 997, 350 metric tonnes.
The Agriculture Minister says the total maize requirements include an anticipated national strategic reserve stock of 500, 000 metric tonnes to be held by the FRA.