Zambia sees 2017 maize harvest rising to more than 3-million tonnes
Crop-eating armyworm and earlier droughts have seen Zambia ban exports, but above-average rainfall may mean an increase in maize output
Lusaka — Zambia said its maize output may climb to more than 3-million tonnes this year, but the government will maintain an export ban until it receives crop estimates later this month. Agriculture minister Dora Siliya said there were "initial indications" of this potential production figure, during a Thursday interview in the capital, Lusaka. Zambia will review its ban on exports of the staple if the harvest survey, due for completion by the end of March, shows the country is food secure, she said. An announcement will be made in April. Zambia, Africa’s second-biggest copper producer, looks set to exceed last year’s maize harvest of 2.87-million tonnes, as above-average rainfall is likely to offset an invasion of crop-eating armyworms that affected about 20% of the planted area. Regional food shortages after two years of drought prompted the government to ban exports last April. Zambian grain traders have warned they may run short of storage space if the restriction remains. Bette...
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