Unless Zambia is allowed to export maize, it is likely to run out of storage space
Zambia placed a ban on exporting maize in April 2016, amid concern about food security following a severe drought
Zambia, the only Southern African country to produce a maize surplus in 2016, may run out of storage space if a ban on exporting the grain is not lifted, according to local traders. The country will probably reap 3-million tonnes of maize in the current season, according to the Grain Traders Association of Zambia. When that is added to carry-over stocks remaining from last season, it is unlikely the nation’s storage facilities will be sufficient, association president Chambuleni Simwinga said by phone on Friday. "We’re still sitting on an excess of about 230,000 tonnes, which has not moved or been traded," Simwinga said. In 2016, Zambia produced 2.87-million tonnes of maize, which is ground and cooked with water to make pap, which is eaten with meat or fish. It produced a surplus as neighbours grappled with the worst drought in decades. While Zambian farmers have battled destructive locusts and caterpillars this year, crops are benefiting from good rainfall. "A large percentage of t...
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