Maize and meal prices likely to remain high, limiting market access for some poor households

In most parts of the country, Minimal (IPC Phase 1) acute food insecurity outcomes are expected to continue. However, in southwestern Zambia, where households are depending on markets for staple food access longer than usual, and income from livestock sales is being limited by the ban on cattle movement to contain the foot and mouth disease, Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes will persist up to March 2016. Relief food distributions in these areas are ongoing.  

Maize and meal prices remain higher than the previous year and the recent five-year average, due to below-average staple food stocks and high regional demand for Zambian maize. In a bid to reduce maize meal prices, Government will be releasing maize from the Food Reserve Agency stocks at below market price (K1.7/Kg) to millers starting in mid-November. Although prices may stabilize, they will remain high and above the five-year average up to March.

Agricultural households are advanced in land preparation activities, supported by recent widespread rainfall, with some starting to purchase government-subsidized inputs, though these inputs are not yet available in all districts. Households with livestock are selling some livestock to purchase the more expensive fertilizer from the market as subsidized fertilizer is inadequate (four bags per farmer as in previous years).