Zambia’s maize production will decline by 21.86 percent for the 2014/2015 agricultural season, results of a crop forecast survey seen on Friday have shown. 
The southern African nation will produce 2, 618, 221 tons of the grain in the 2014/2015 season from 3, 350, 671 tons produced during the 2013/2014 season, a reduction of 21.86 percent.
But Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Given Lubinda said the country will have sufficient maize for both human consumption and industrial use.
The decline in the country’s maize output is due to late onset of the rains which led to late planting and poor distribution of the rainfall pattern. The country also experienced prolonged dry spells in some parts.
According to the survey, the country has a carryover stock of 1, 345, 401 tons from the previous season, bringing the total available maize to 3, 963, 622 tons.
The country’s maize consumption requirement is currently estimated at 3, 086, 654 tons.
Last week, an agricultural think-tank said the country had enough maize to cope with in case of a poor harvest caused by bad weather.
The Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) said the produce from the previous season was enough to mitigate the negative harvest caused by poor rains in the current season. Enditem
Source: Xinhua
