Browse Data and Analysis

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”.

Eswatini sugar cane production in MY 2023/24 was affected by unfavorable climatic conditions and proliferation of the yellow aphid leaf. This affected cane production and quality resulting to the season ending earlier than normal.

Zambia’s production of its staple crop, corn, is expected to grow by 23 percent to 3.3 million metric tons (MMT) in marketing year (MY) 2023/24, mainly due to an upsurge in planted area.

Post forecasts sugar cane production in Eswatini will increase by 1.5 percent to 5.6 million MT in MY 2023/24, based on increased available irrigation water, expanded planted area, and a return to trend yields.

The Namibian Ministry of Agriculture appears to have granted an extension to consignments that were already prepared for departure to Namibia before the announcement of the Circular V15 of 2022 on December 7, 2022.

Despite lower production in marketing year (MY) 2022/23, Zambia’s production of its staple crop, corn, will be sufficient to meet domestic demand. Zambia’s corn crop is forecast to decline by 25 percent to 2.7 million metric tons (MMT) in MY 2022/23, after producing a record crop 3.6 MMT in MY 2021/22.

Post forecasts that sugar cane production in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) will increase by 2 percent, to 5.3 million metric tons (MT) in the 2022/23 MY, based on good rainfall, increased available irrigation water, normal weather conditions, expanded planted area and consistent cane yields.

Zambia produced its largest corn crop on record in the 2021/22 MY. This bumper corn crop of 3.6 million tons follows on Zambia’s third largest corn crop of 3.4 million tons produced in the 2020/21 MY.

Post forecasts that sugar cane production in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) will increase marginally by 1 percent to 6.1 million Metric Tons (MT) in the 2021/22 Marketing Year (MY), based on good rainfall, increased available irrigation water, normal weather conditions, growth in the area planted and consistent cane yields.

In the 2020/21 MY, Zambia produced its second highest corn crop on record. This bumper corn crop of 3.4 million tons is 69 percent higher than the previous season’s crop of 2.0 million tons.

On April 9, 2020, the United States reported an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) to the International Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Post forecasts that sugar cane production in Eswatini will increase by 5 percent to 6.0 million Metric Tons (MT) in the 2020/21 Marketing Year (MY), based on normal weather and rainfall...