Farmers cautioned against selling their entire harvest

BuyZed Campaign Founder and Chief Executive Officer Evans Ng’oma says Zambians could face higher food prices if the impending El Niño disrupts local food production. Mr Ng’oma has implored the government to put in place measures aimed at safeguarding the country’s abundant food…

BuyZed Campaign Founder and Chief Executive Officer Evans Ng’oma says Zambians could face higher food prices if the impending El Niño disrupts local food production.

Mr Ng’oma has implored the government to put in place measures aimed at safeguarding the country’s abundant food stocks, following a bumper maize harvest of close to five million metric tonnes.

He told the media in an interview today, that farmers should resist the temptation to sell off their entire harvest and instead retain sufficient maize stocks for household and national food security.

Mr Ng’oma noted that Zambia is currently enjoying a bumper harvest of close to five million metric tonnes, giving the country an opportunity to build reserves before possible El Niño-induced production challenges emerge.

He has urged small-scale and commercial farmers to keep adequate stocks, while calling on the government to increase the Food Reserve Agency’s (FRA) maize purchases from the current 500,000 metric tonnes, to about three times the said quantity.

Mr Ng’oma explained that stronger reserves would help stabilise food supplies and cushion consumers from possible price shocks if local production declines.

 He has also called for improved storage facilities by the FRA, saying reduced post-harvest losses is critical to ensuring that the country has sufficient food reserves to withstand possible disruptions, as well as ensuring that more of the country’s maize remains available for both local consumption and export.

Meanwhile, Mr Ngoma has urged farmers to prepare for the anticipated erratic rainfall by planting drought-tolerant and early-maturing crop varieties and adopting water-conserving practices such as potholing.

He encouraged farmers to also seek guidance from agricultural camp officers on measures to mitigate the effects of the El Niño.

BuyZed Founder has further called for greater diversification away from maize, particularly through increased production of sorghum, which he says is better suited to extreme weather conditions.

Mr N’goma has since urged the government to consider providing small-scale farmers with sorghum seed through the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), to help strengthen food security and reduce dependence on maize.