Set-up processing industries to reduce raw maize exports- Expert

t Zambia’s Agriculture sector is slowly becoming […]

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Zambia’s Agriculture sector is slowly becoming one of the most productive sectors, as in recent years the bumper harvest In terms of maize output has increased from 3.6 million Metric tonnes in the 2024-2025 harvest season to K4.9 million Metric tonnes in the 2025-2026 with maize being exported to countries like DRC Congo.

However, despite the agriculture sector seeing a positive harvest in terms of Maize production and increased exports, some experts in the agriculture and financial space have argued that exporting maize in its raw form, is limiting the country from earning more from maize export.

According to the experts, industrialising the agriculture sector is very ideal at this point, considering that maize harvest keeps showing positive signs of increased production, calling for serious interventions in setting-up processing industries that will process maize into various by-products which can increase the country’s earning compared to raw exports.

Economic expert Trevor Hambayi has described the agriculture sector as one of the major areas government should focus on to help drive Zambia’s increase in export earnings.

 Speaking in an interview with Zambian Business Times-ZBT Hambayi noted that establishing industry’s in the agriculture sector can be helpful in developing the agriculture value chain.

 “ We need to establish processing industries in the agriculture sector to be able to develop the value chain and ensure that we create a basket around the country that will drive increased earning from agriculture exports,” said Hambayi.

A further check by the Zambian Business Times- ZBT in the government data for the month of June revealed that Agricultural products accounted for 19.8% of Non-Traditional Exports in June 2026 compared to 16.4% recorded in May 2026. The report also indicates that export earnings from agricultural products increased by 13.0% from K1.6 billion in May 2026 to K1.8 billion in June 2026.And the major export commodities were Tobacco-partly or wholly stemmed/stripped accounting for 14.1%, Other corn seed (10.9%), and Oilcake of soyabean (8.0%).

Article by Justine Phiri