Government Waiting on Crop Forecasts Before Making a Decision on Maize Exports

The government is remaining prudent about maize exports despite a bullish attitude from farmers. Exports will only be authorised once the government has absolute confidence that Zambia’s food security and strategic food reserve are assured.

In the aftermath of last year’s drought, it is clear that the government must ensure that it is prepared for shocks, and that it can provide food for all Zambians even in such extreme conditions.

For this reason, only in the event of a robust surplus will Zambia put its maize on the international market. The extent of the surplus will be revealed in the forthcoming crop survey, currently being compiled by ZAMSTATS, the state statistics agency.

“We are waiting for the crop forecast survey results. The results will tell us the marketable surplus. Science has to inform us how much we have and how much is surplus”, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture John Mulongoti said in a press conference this week.

However, certain farmers are frustrated with the government’s caution in this regard. In particular, Fred Kaluya, Executive Director of the National Association for Smallholder Farmers, is so confident of a robust surplus that he is eager to start selling.

“We are producing much more than we need for our national food security, so where are we going to take the other maize? We just need to start exporting, so the borders should be open by all means”, Dr Kaluya said.

Further, Dr Kaluya was transparent about the motivations behind this eagerness. He told press that “the export market is very good in terms of prices. Already we know that in DR Congo, a 50kg bag is above K500, and that means those who will be exporting will be making more money”.

Whilst selling maize abroad can fetch better prices, it is expected that the price will be capped at K300 for the Zambian consumer, to guard against an escalating cost of living.

News of a harvest surplus is welcome, and it is certainly hoped that Zambia can improve its economy by selling surplus maize abroad at good prices. However, in demonstrating caution, the government shows that its top priority is ensuring food security for the Zambian people.