Central Province Maize Output Tops One Million Tonnes

Central Province has recorded a remarkable leap in maize production, with output climbing from 685,000 metric tonnes in the 2024/2025 farming season to over one million metric tonnes in 2025/2026.

Speaking at a media briefing in his office, Central Province Permanent Secretary Dr Milner Mwanakampwe credited the surge to the timely distribution of inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), together with stronger agricultural extension services. He revealed that all 162,711 FISP beneficiaries in the province received their inputs before the season began, a head start that lifted productivity among small-scale and commercial farmers alike.

Government investment in mechanisation has also made a difference, with new vehicles and more than 225 motorbikes deployed to help extension officers reach farmers with technical guidance. Dr Mwanakampwe praised farmers for answering President Hakainde Hichilema's call to raise production, and set an ambitious new target of 1.5 million metric tonnes of maize by 2030.

Provincial Agricultural Coordinator Etambuyu Anamela put the season's maize harvest at an estimated 1,056,178 metric tonnes, around 21.39 per cent of Zambia's total output. The province also led the country in several other crops, contributing 48.63 per cent of national seed production, 39.67 per cent of popcorn, 41.73 per cent of soybeans, 55.75 per cent of Irish potatoes and 58.04 per cent of wheat.

She attributed the strong showing to the dedication of farmers and to targeted government support, reinforcing Central Province's standing as one of Zambia's foremost agricultural hubs.