Zambia set for record maize harvest as output tops 4.1 million tons

Zambia's maize harvest will exceed 4.1 million tons in 2026, the country's millers association has projected, marking a second consecutive record and a striking rebound from the drought-hit 2024 season, when output collapsed to roughly 1.5 million tons.

The bumper crop is expected to ease inflationary pressures stemming from elevated fuel costs, providing welcome relief for households and policymakers alike. However, the strong harvest carries fiscal implications, with the government likely to face mounting pressure to step up grain purchases from farmers through the Food Reserve Agency, straining an already stretched budget.

The recovery underscores the volatility of southern African staple crop production, where rainfall patterns can swing yields by several million tons year on year. Zambia's 2024 shortfall forced emergency maize imports across the region and pushed Lusaka to declare a national disaster.

For European buyers, a sustained Zambian surplus could reshape regional trade flows. Zambia is a key supplier of white maize to neighbouring markets, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Malawi, and a stronger export profile may relieve pressure on global yellow maize benchmarks that EU livestock feed operations monitor closely.