Attachments
Report Highlights:
Zambia’s production of its staple crop, corn, is expected to drop by more than 50 percent in marketing year 2024/25, due to extended dry spells associated with the El Niño event. Almost a million hectares of corn have been destroyed by the drought that forced the Zambian President to declare a “National Disaster and Emergency”. Post estimates that Zambia could import approximately 1 million metric tons of corn in marketing year 2024/25 to meet local demand and mandated strategic food reserves. As a result, the Zambia government authorized the private sector to import corn, albeit only genetically engineered free corn will be permitted. The cultivation of genetically engineered corn is still prohibited in Zambia. However, the country has made strides towards revising its biosafety policy, which will give momentum to revamped biosafety legislation, changing the current restrictive approach to biotechnology to a more science-based and enabling environment.
Executive Summary
Post estimates that Zambia could import approximately 1 million metric tons (MMT) of corn in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 to maintain food security. This calculation is based on a more than 50 percent drop in corn production to 1.6 MMT, and after making provision for about 500,000 metric tons (MT) of corn stocks held as a strategic food reserve. Extreme drought conditions associated with the El Niño event resulted in total crop failure in many regions of Zambia. Corn is the single most important crop in Zambia and is the national staple food. Corn production in Zambia is dominated by smallholder farmers who have limited access to irrigation technologies. As a result, most of the corn production is entirely dependent on rainfall.
Following a declaration of a “National Disaster and Emergency” by the President, the government has authorized the private sector to import white and yellow corn. However, one of the primary conditions for the importation of corn is a “Genetically Modified Organism” free certificate from the country of origin. This requirement essentially limits Zambia’s corn imports to its neighboring country, Tanzania, as it largely excludes corn imports from South Africa, the main producer of corn in southern Africa. More than 85 percent of corn in South Africa is planted with genetically engineered seeds and despite the impact of the El Niño induced drought, excess corn of more than 1 MMT will be available for export.