Former Zampost Postmaster General and businessman Mcpherson Chanda has challenged Zambia to raise its ambitions on maize, arguing the country should target a minimum of 9 million tonnes annually rather than celebrate harvests of between 3.5 and 5 million tonnes.
Writing on Facebook, Chanda called current output a sign of “low ambition”. Zambia has produced between 3.5 and 5 million tonnes over the past eight years, he noted, with average yields stuck at around 3 tonnes per hectare, well short of what existing agricultural science and technology could deliver. Chanda argues yields of around 10 tonnes per hectare are achievable, making a 9 million tonne harvest realistic rather than aspirational. The economic case, he said, is substantial. Higher output would cut the cost of stock feed, lower prices for chickens, eggs, meat and milk, stabilise mealie meal prices, lift farmers’ incomes and generate additional foreign exchange through exports.
To get there, Chanda called on the Ministry of Agriculture to launch a nationwide Soil Testing and Liming Campaign, modelled on the Ministry of Health’s vaccination drives against measles, polio and tuberculosis. He further added that liming, alongside the right seed varieties and pest control, has been shown to lift yields by up to 100 percent, with maize, soybeans, groundnuts, beans, wheat and a range of vegetables all responding well to the practice.Chanda closed by urging Zambia to embrace innovation and set higher standards in agriculture. He concluded with, “Let us think differently”.
