Maize production in Zambia

Maize production has fallen in Zambia since liberalisation in the early 1990s as fertiliser became less affordable and subsidies did not reach many farmers. The country’s poor agricultural performance is negatively affecting nutrition: the proportion of stunted children has risen from 36 to 47 percent since 1990.

Diversification into cash cropshas partly offset this trend, but this is mainlyby commercial farmers and is concentrated in Eastern, Central and Southern Provinces.Smallholder farmers, especially in remote areas, have gone back to traditional staplecrops to feed their families, mainly cassava and millet, as these require less fertiliserand seed. As a result, incomes have fallen and diets are less varied, withlimited access to fruit and vegetables.

Research in three villages in the Northern Province by the UKInstitute of Development Studies demonstrates what has happened in Zambia overthe last two decades. In Ngulula, Lufubu and Kabila farmers have moved intomaize production and out again. Today, cassava and millet are the mostwidespread crops, although maize production remains common, especially localvarieties. Yet many farmers told researchers how they used to grow and sell maizeuntil fertilisers became unaffordable.

The Zambian government has reintroduced fertiliser subsidiesin the last two years, but access to these is uneven. Even with a subsidy,fertiliser use is constrained by poor infrastructure, especially for remote, ‘off-road’communities. Problems with water availability and the high cost of other inputs,including seed and herbicide, further limit opportunities to grow high-value exportcrops.

Farmers are caught in a poverty trap: they cannot afford thenecessary inputs to increase production, and lack access to markets even if theycould. Improving market access alone will not improve livelihoods. Supply-sidemeasures – particularly improved infrastructure and the formation of farmer cooperatives– must be complemented by policies to stimulate demand, such as public works (forexample, road construction and irrigation infrastructure) and feeding programmesusing local produce.