Zambia’s millet production has failed to recover […]

Zambia’s millet production has failed to recover beyond 60 thousand metric tonnes over the last 25 farming seasons, exposing the steady decline of one of the country’s most drought-resistant traditional crops.

According to a report by index mundi, Zambia last exceeded 60 thousand metric tonnes of millet production in 1999 in which it produced 70 thousand metric tonnes.

 Meanwhile, latest government ministerial statements on the Crop Forecast Survey seen by Zambian Business Times show that millet production dropped by 67 percent in 2023 to 15,390 metric tonnes from 46,753 metric tonnes recorded in the previous season and the same low production level of 15,390 metric tonnes persisted in 2024, reflecting continued weak output.

 Further, despite production improving by 56.81% in 2025 to 24,132.88 metric tonnes after the cultivated area expanded to 63,954.96 hectares, output still remained far below the 60,000 metric tonne mark. However, speaking in an interview with Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Livingstone Cooperatives Union (LCU) Chairperson, Rwinick Mapanza said millet has gradually been abandoned as farmers continue shifting toward maize and other cereal crops.

Mapanza indicated that millet is a challenging crop because most farmers now tend to grow maize and sorghum, yet millet is one of the most important drought-resistant crops we have in Zambia and most of the younger farmers no longer understand the value of millet because knowledge about the crop has largely remained with older generations in low rainfall and valley farming areas.

“New farmers do not know much about millet, and that is why we need to intensify education because this crop survives even with minimal rainfall and can save people during droughts,” he said. Mapanza noted that unlike maize, millet can survive under harsh weather conditions with very little moisture, making it one of the few crops capable of producing harvests even during poor rainfall seasons.

“It survives like grass because even dew in the morning helps it grow, while maize quickly withers once there is insufficient rainfall,” he explained.

 Meanwhile, Mapanza said millet remains commercially underdeveloped despite offering strong income potential, adding that farmers can earn more from millet than maize if proper markets and awareness are created. “We have not gone out strongly to tell farmers that millet is a cash crop because one tonne can fetch not less than K2,500, yet it grows naturally without requiring expensive conventional fertilisers,” he said.

Article by Phillip Sinkala