Johannesburg - Zambia, the only southern African
country to produce a corn surplus last year, may run out of storage space if a
ban on exporting the grain isn’t lifted, according to local traders.
The country will probably reap 3 million metric tons of
its staple corn crop in the current season, according to the Grain Traders
Association of Zambia. When that’s added to carry-over stocks remaining from
last season, it’s unlikely the nation’s storage facilities will be sufficient,
association President Chambuleni Simwinga said by phone on Friday.
“We’re still sitting on an excess of about 230 000 tons
which has not moved or been traded,” Simwinga said.
Last year, Zambia produced 2.87 million tons of
corn, which is ground and cooked with water to make a thick porridge, known as
nshima, that’s eaten with meat or fish. It produced a surplus as neighbours
grappled with the worst drought in decades. While Zambian farmers have
battled destructive locusts and caterpillars this year, crops are benefiting
from good rainfall.
Read also: Maize crops set to recover this year
“A large percentage of that maize will end up as
carry-over stock,” Jacques Pienaar, an analyst at South Africa’s
Commodity Insight Africa, said by email on Friday, using another term for corn.
“This will add price pressure in the next few months, unless the government
opens the border for export by issuing sufficient export permits.”
Zambia placed a ban on exporting corn in April, amid
concerns about food security following the severe drought. The rule will remain
in place until further notice, Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya said in
January.
Agriculture Permanent Secretary Julius Shawa didn’t
immediately respond to phone calls or a mobile phone text message seeking
comment.