Agriculture Minister Mtolo Phiri announced on Friday that Zambia’s maize purchase target for strategic reserves has been boosted by 300,000 tonnes, following the country’s highest-ever output.
Zambia’s maize production increased by 7% to 3.62 million tonnes in the 2020/2021 crop season, the greatest in the country’s history, from 3.38 million tonnes the previous year.
“The food reserve agency is going to procure as at now a total of 800,000 metric tonnes. Their target initially was 500,000 metric tonnes,” Phiri said in parliament.
With carry-over stocks of 840,944 tonnes of maize from the previous harvest, the southern African country anticipates a surplus of 1.52 million tonnes.
