RICE PRODUCTION IN ZAMBIA DECLINING ANNUALLY – AGRIC MINISTER

By Jessica Mwansa

RICE production has been declining in Zambia for the past three years despite the Government identifying it as a priority crop to be promoted under its crop diversification program, Minister of Agriculture Rueben Phiri Mtolo has said.

In an interview with The Scoop, Mr. Mtolo observed that rice was the third most important cereal crop after maize and wheat in Zambia with the country’s current human consumption requirement standing at 100,756 metric tonnes.

Mr. Mtolo said in order to become self-sufficient, the country needed to increase production of the crop adding that it was envisaged that increased rice production could not only contribute tremendously in enhancing the livelihood of households, but also worked as a viable alternative crop for the farmers especially in light of the various shocks that they faced as a result of climate change.

 “The current demand for rice exceeds production and the national food balance sheet for the 2023-24 agricultural marketing season shows a deficit of 46,855 metric tonnes. These deficits have been increasing annually and are usually resolved through importation of the commodity.

 “The Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has so far developed three National Rice Development Strategies (NRDS). The first National Rice Development Strategy had a goal of accelerating commercialization of the private sector-led Zambian rice industry to contribute to increased income generation, household and national food security, its objective was to increase production by 25 percent,” Mr. Mtolo said.

“The second strategy was developed to stimulate a competitive rice sub-sector based on best practices and sustainable use of natural resources to deliver benefits to all actors in the value chain with the objective of increasing production to 50 percent,” he said.

He said the two National Rice Development Strategies were developed to enhance the rice value chain adding that the production and productivity of rice remained relatively low hence the development of the third NRDS.

“The third NRDS aims to accelerate the development of the sub-sector by driving the achievement of goals and objectives of increasing rice production and productivity and to improve the share of locally-produced rice on the market. The target of the third NRDS was to increase rice production in Zambia up to 120,00 metric tonnes by 2026. This will be achieved by improving the yield from 1.08 metric tonnes per hectare and expanding the area from 47,000 metric tonnes per hectare to 80,000 hectares over the duration of the strategy,” he said.

He added that in order to achieve the aim of the strategy, priority approaches and interventions will be implemented and encouraged all the stakeholders in the rice sector to support the Government in the implementation of the strategy to achieve its aim.

And Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) chief representative Norihito Yonebayashi said the Agency had observed that the consumption of rice in the country had continued to grow while production had not been growing at a commensurate rate adding that this led to the importation of rice.

“Through the NRDS, we have an opportunity to reverse this situation and improve Zambia’s self-sufficiency rate. JICA is one of the ministry’s longest partners in the promotion of rice and assure the ministry that we shall continue to partner with them in unlocking the huge economic and social potential that this sub-sector possesses,” he said.