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Zambia is expected to record a bumper harvest of over 3.6 million metric tonnes of white maize in the 2024/2025 farming season, authorities have announced.
The total maize supply is estimated at 4,040,645 metric tonnes, while national requirements stand at 3,539,024 metric tonnes—resulting in a surplus of 501,621 metric tonnes.
Acting Minister of Agriculture, Sylvia Masebo, made the announcement in Lusaka on Thursday during the release of the 2024/2025 Crop Forecast Survey, held at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC).
Despite the maize surplus, Zambia anticipates deficits in other key crops, including a shortfall of 55,138 metric tonnes of rice, 327,938 metric tonnes of wheat, and 636,921 metric tonnes of cassava flour.
Masebo said the government was committed to managing surplus produce effectively by strengthening storage infrastructure and expanding market linkages.
“For all recorded deficits, we will continue to implement programmes that enhance local production,” she said.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to consistent and predictable trade policies, adding that collaboration with stakeholders remains key to ensuring stability and sustainable growth.
She stressed the importance of private sector involvement in agricultural marketing and urged farmers not to panic or sell their produce at giveaway prices.
“Last year’s marketing season saw increased prices for most agricultural commodities due to reduced production. Maize, for instance, fetched good prices, although it remained stable throughout the 2024 marketing season,” she noted.
Masebo expressed hope that the increased maize production in the 2024/2025 season would help reduce mealie meal prices in 2025.
“Our focus is to promote sustainable agricultural development through climate-smart practices, irrigation, mechanisation, and improved access to credit, inputs, and innovative technologies,” she said.
Masebo also announced that the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) will operate under a 100 percent E-Voucher system in the 2025/2026 season to make input access easier for farmers.
Additionally, she encouraged farmers to take advantage of commercial banks under the Sustainable Agriculture Financing Facility (SAFF) to improve access to credit.
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