215
Figure 7.5: Noncommercial farms production of maize
by province, 1971 to 1976 and 1982 to 1985
-}- Copperbelt and Northwestern
Central, Southern, Lusaka, Namwala
... Northern and Luapula
fi Eastern
— Western
Source: CSO.
There appear to be significant regional variations. Focusing specifically on maize, it can be
seen from figure 7.5 that production has increased steadily in the Eastern province, as well as in the
North and Luapula provinces.4 .' Production trends have been mixed elsewhere. Table 7.9 presents
production growth rates for the 1972-1986 period. Table 7.10 presents growth rates for production,
area and yield for the 1983-1986 period.
Regional breakdowns in the data time series vary from year to year; for example, data for the
Copperbelt/Northwest region were reported separately sometimes and as one combined total at other
times. The regional breakdowns in Tables 7.9 and 7.10 represent the finest level of disaggregation
possible from the published data without eliminating data for certain years.
These data are somewhat inconsistent with a report on the Eastern province from the
International Food Policy Research Institute that implies growth in maize production only until 1980,
at which time production in the Eastern province reportedly began to decline (Cells, Milimo, and
Wanmali 1991, p. 24). Data from the CSO are consistent with statistics reported by the Economic
Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture, which suggest a growth rate in cereals
production in Zambia of roughly 1.1 percent (figure 7.6).
° Production in the combined Central, Southern, and Lusaka provinces has fluctuated greatly but has increased on
average 1.3 percent per year.