Zambia’s corn yields slid by 400,000 metric tones to 2,044,389 metric tons in the 2018/2019 farming season. This is just enough to absorb the 1,961, 357 metric tons demand for Zambia’s 17.6 million population.
Speaking at a press briefing, Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo advised that the national average yield rate for corn slid to 1.29 metric tons per hectare from 1.72 metric tons per hectare in the last season. The Minster revealed that small scale farmers crop yields plummeted to 1.24 metric tons per hectare from levels of 1.68 metric tons per hectare as large scale farmers yield eased to 3.74 metric tons per hectare.
Zambia has carry over stock of 474,515 metric tones from last season distributed as follows: FRA- 303,475 metric tons, Grain Traders Association – 51,474 metric tons, Millers Association of Zambia – 21,704 metric tons, large scale farmers 36,362 metric tons, small to medium scale farmers – 62,000 metric tones, this was contained in a crop forecasting survey note released by the Agric Ministry on 08 May.
The Food Reserve Agency – FRA also warned millers that purchased maize stocks from the agency to ease pricing or risk a 2 marketing season ban. This follows the advent of millers exploiting buyers by selling the commodity at exorbitant premiums. The FRA has advised that the market price of a 25 kg bag of maize meal is K85, while roller meal should trade for K70 for a 25 kilo bag and K45 for maize bran. However the FRA has attributed the exploitation oportunity as being exacerbated by smuggling opportunities into DRC which is forcing prices higher.