ZAMBIA – Zambia this year expects to record a fourth historic maize bumper harvest in 26 years estimated at 3.4 million tons, and soya beans is expected to increase by 47 percent from 281,389 tons the previous season.

This seems to be a lucrative avenue for the country to undertake exports but the Poultry Association of Zambia (PAZ) has called on the government to trade cautiously when exporting the crops which are used as the main ingredients in production of stock feed.

According to a report by Daily Mail, PAZ, an affiliate of the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) lobby for the industry members made the proposition in a bid to help stabilize prices of stock feed in the country.

PAZ acts as a channel through which its members table industry-related issues to government.

PAZ Executive Manager, Mr. Dominic Chanda stated that, “We need to secure the maize and soya beans we have produced and minimize exports to avoid the situation we faced last year. I am appealing to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries not to allow exports at this stage.

“If we start exporting early, we may have a shortage and the prices of stock feed will be hiked, thereby negatively affecting the small-scale poultry farmers who are growing chickens and this might affect the consumers,” said Mr. Chanda.

The Executive Manager added that exports of soybeans should not be entertained at all costs especially at this moment instead the focus should be on exporting value added products.

According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, African poultry feed market is estimated to register a CAGR of 3.9% in 2020-2025.

While the global poultry feed market size is expected to account for US$157 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 6.9% from 2019 to 2023 states Research and Markets.

The government through FRA has announced the flow price for maize for the 2020/21 marketing season which stand at ZMK 110 per 50 kgs bag.

Mr. Chanda welcomed the maize price reduction indicating that this move will help cushion the price of stock feed and help revamp the livestock sector.

The poultry industry has grown in the recent past coupled with expansions and new investments in feed processing in the country.

Key firms producing animal feed in Zambia include National Milling Corporation (NMC), Novatek Animal Feeds, Tiger Animal Feeds, Nutrifeeds, Pembe Milling, Simba Milling, Olympic Milling and Emmans Feed Enterprises.

According to a report by Taylor & Francis, annual growth rates in Zambia’s poultry industry is now averaging 8%. Consumption demand has also increased standing at 9.2 kg per capita.

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