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Zambia could be forced to import maize on a permanent basis from next year should farmers carry out their threat to stop growing it because of high production costs and low prices, media reports said.
Ajay Vashee, president of the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) said the farmers, who last season produced a maize surplus of 1.2 million mt, have vowed that they would not grow the crop in the next season. Zambia consumes 12.5 million mt of maize, the country’s staple food, each year.
Addressing the annual meeting of the ZNFU, Vashee said the only way the government could avert a maize shortage, was to “handsomely reward all the maize farmers and not punish them for feeding the nation”. “If government does not take the necessary precautions, Zambia may start importing maize from South Africa, Zimbabwe, the US and Argentina on a permanent basis,” Vashee said.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions