Zambia’s demand for bananas has dropped significantly […]

Zambia’s demand for bananas has dropped significantly over the past several years, with consumption projected to decline to 660,000 metric tons in 2026, a 10% decrease from 2021’s figure of 1 million tons, according to a recent report by ReportLinker.

 The same report, reviewed by the Zambian Business Times (ZBT), shows that Zambia’s banana demand has plummeted by 21% since 2017. In 2021, the country ranked 141st in global banana consumption, behind Grenada at 1 million tons.

 China, Indonesia, and Brazil followed as the second, third, and fourth largest banana consumers, respectively. Banana production in Zambia is also expected to see a modest decline, projected to contract by 0.5% year-on-year to approximately 619,000 metric tons in 2026. Since 1966, banana output has decreased by 0.7%, placing Zambia 103rd in worldwide banana production in 2021, just behind American Samoa at 637,000 metric tons.

China, Indonesia, and Brazil were also among the top producers globally. Despite the overall decline in national consumption, local farmers continue to face supply shortages. Range Muleya, a banana farmer, told ZBT that demand from traders and consumers remains strong, even as farmers struggle to keep up due to seasonal production challenges.

 “Demand for bananas remains high on the market, with traders and consumers continuing to look for more supply than farmers can currently provide,” Muleya noted.

 He explained that the onset of the cold season has slowed production, causing output from banana plantations to drop and leading to shortages in certain regions.

 “The business is very high and the demand is high, but production is not all that high because we are entering the cold season,” Muleya said.

 He added that improving irrigation infrastructure and increasing production capacity could help stabilize supply and ensure farmers can better meet market demand year-round. “There are shortages because we do not have enough to distribute even though demand is there,” he said, emphasizing the need for sector investment to address the supply-demand gap.

Article by Phillip Sinkala