World Grain - October 2016 - 56

FEATURE: MAIZE PRODUCTION SOARING IN EASTERN AFRICA

cent years. Berlin-based agribusiness
Amatheon Agri Holding NV operates
one of the largest with about 2,000
hectares planted to maize on a total of
3,200 hectares of cultivated land in the
northwest as well.

tion of maize, a non-traditional food,
as a means of enhancing food security. The result has been a ten-fold increase in production from just 50,000
tonnes in 2000 on a hilly landscape.
The Rwandan state's strategic grain
reserve maintains a relatively modest
NORTH AND SOUTH KIVU, DRC
maximum level of 50,000 tonnes of
Population: 12 million
stocks but has even reduced it in reProduction: 800,000 tonnes
cent years and sold off silo and wareDRC's heavily populated, mineral- house storages, judging that the counrich provinces of North and South try faces no major food security chalKivu are more economically integrated lenges warranting the cost of mainwith other countries of the Great Lakes taining a large reserve. International
Region than with the rest of DRC. companies like Afgri have invested
The large urban populations of Goma, in some of these storage facilities and
%XNDYX DQG 8YLUD EHQH¿W IURP LP- put them to commercial use. There are
ports, mostly smuggled and untaxed, of a handful of small industrial maize
all kinds of foods, including maize and roller mills around the country, some
maize meal.
of which import maize and then reOne bold investor has started up the export maize meal to neighboring
UHJLRQ¶V¿UVWPRGHUQPDL]HUROOHUPLOOLQ countries like DRC and Burundi. A
Ruzizi Plain, north of Lake Tanganyika. commercial poultry industry is develThe electrical hook-up is from nearby oping, creating additional demand for
Burundi. Urban consumers are pleased maize in feed.
to buy a Congolese brand.
Government data just for South Kivu SOUTH SUDAN
in 2013 shows 337,127 tonnes of proPopulation: 11.9 million
duction by 835,472 households with
Production: 400,000 tonnes
135,858 tonnes commercialized, all in7KH HFRQRP\ RI FRQÀLFWWRUQ 6RXWK
creases from the previous year. North Sudan, the world's youngest country,
.LYX¶V ¿JXUHV DUH WR KLJK- depends on petroleum exports, suber. By comparison, almost 1 million sistence farming and international
households produced over 6 million aid. A joint WFP/FAO assessment in
tonnes of cassava in South Kivu. Due 2015 estimated 1.27 million tonnes of
to steady, year-round rainfall exceed- gross cereals production in two annual
ing 1,500 ml, but much more at higher crops on 1 million hectares. Precise
elevations, the potential to increase data are lacking but the breakdown is
maize production in the western pla- roughly two-thirds white sorghum and
teau regions of South Kivu would be one-third white maize. There are just
enormous if only feeder roads could be a small number of semi-mechanized
built and security improved. A decades- commercial farms in the north borlong presence of roaming militias has dering Sudan. The UN report put the
displaced much of the rural population QHW FHUHDOV GH¿FLW LQ DW
to cities along the lakeshores, leaving tonnes. Traders bring sorghum from
large tracts of arable land available for Sudan and white maize from Uganda
cultivation.
WR¿OOWKLVJDS+RZHYHUVLQFH¿JKWLQJ
between government factions erupted
RWANDA
in December 2013, food aid has again
Population: 12.7 million
become a major part of the food balProduction: 550,000 tonnes
ance sheet. The WFP said the country
Rwanda's dirigiste government has 1.7 million displaced persons in
has systematically targeted produc- addition to 650,000 refugees mainly
56

in Uganda receiving emergency handouts. Non-emergency programs like
school lunches bring the total number
RI EHQH¿FLDULHV WR PLOOLRQ DERXW D
quarter of the population. Thanks to its
commercial availability in the region,
maize makes up the biggest part of the
donated food basket.
BURUNDI
Population: 10.7 million
Production: 150,000 tonnes
&RQÀLFWULGGHQ %XUXQGL VLPLODU LQ
area, population, geography and agricultural practices to its neighbor
Rwanda, stands in stark contrast when
it comes to maize production. In 1972,
when it had a centrally planned socialist
economy, the country attained a peak of
250,000 tonnes, two-thirds higher than
current levels.
Imported maize is part of the food
aid basket provided to people displaced
E\ WKH UHFHQW ¿JKWLQJ DQG SROLWLFDO
instability.
SOMALIA/DJIBOUTI/ERITREA
Population: 10.6 million/826,000/6.5
million
Production: 116,000 tonnes/0/20,000
tonnes
The three arid countries along the
Red Sea and Gulf of Aden coastlines
extending to the Horn of Africa produce and consume little maize. Somalis
are traditionally nomadic herders and
traders. The same is true for the ethnically Somali people of Djibouti. Their
modern carbohydrate preference is imported rice and pasta. Somalia's maize
planting on 200,000 hectares yields not
much more than a half tonne per hectare. Some maize is grown on Eritrea's
high plateau region but teff and sorghum
are the main cereal crops.
David McKee's grain industry consultancy, Key
International LLC, provides market research,
feasibility analysis, technical studies and project
guidance to companies and organizations. He
may be reached at davidmckee59@msn.com.
We want to hear from you - Send comments and
inquiries to worldgrain@sosland.com. For reprints of
WG articles, e-mail reprints@sosland.com.

October 2016 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

http://www.World-Grain.com

World Grain - October 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of World Grain - October 2016