Zambia scales up national food reserves ahead of expected El Niño
The measures aim to safeguard grain availability, support farmers and reduce the risk of food shortages should below-average rainfall and prolonged dry spells affect crop production.
ZAMBIA – Zambia is seeking to strengthen its food reserves ahead of a farming season threatened by El Niño, with the government requesting additional spending to support its preparations.
Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane asked Parliament on October 22 to approve 19.9 billion kwacha in supplementary expenditure, as authorities confront rising food-security costs.
The request comes as Zambia expands maize purchases beyond its original procurement target.
Musokotwane said the government initially planned to buy 500,000 tonnes but has accumulated 2.72 million tonnes, substantially increasing expenditure through the Food Reserve Agency.
He described the additional purchases as an investment in food security ahead of potentially severe weather disruptions during the next agricultural season.
Authorities have confirmed that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is actively working to expand the country’s grain stockpiles to well over one million metric tonnes, aiming to proactively safeguard vulnerable populations against anticipated severe food shortages and market volatility.
These proactive measures follow severe weather anomalies that disrupted regional agriculture, leaving large segments of the population facing heightened food insecurity.
Zambia has just come through a bumper crop season. The 2026 maize harvest is estimated at 4.94 million tons, up 27.8% from the previous year. This abundance has replenished supplies after the 2024 drought, which forced the country to import maize.
The FRA had initially planned to acquire at least 500,000 tonnes. By the end of August, it had exceeded one million tonnes and paid producers more than 6 billion kwacha, according to the state-owned Times of Zambia.
In September, the agency reported approximately 3.1 million tons in stock, including a carryover of over 1.4 million tons from the previous season.
The newly announced purchase aims not only to increase stocks but also to give farmers an outlet when abundance drives prices down.
In 2026, the FRA set its purchase price at 347 kwachas per 50-kilogram bag. According to the food security monitoring network FEWS NET, this price was 15.6% higher than the national average price in July and significantly higher than some private offers, which were close to 220 kwachas per bag.
El Niño years are typically linked to below-average October-to-March rainfall, a delayed rainy season and lower dam levels.
Food assistance needs could rise gradually among low-income households in southern and western areas as stocks decline.
AGRA’s August Food Security Monitor describes Zambia as relatively food secure but warns that vulnerable households in western, southern and eastern areas could come under stress, and it calls a persisting strong El Niño a major threat.
AGRA says several SADC countries face worsening conditions in the October-to-January lean season, and that surplus producers such as Zambia can help ease regional food prices.
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