On 15 March 2021, the Ministry of Trade announced a temporary lifting of the maize export ban, which had been in place since February 2018 (FPMA Food Policies) to help stabilize national grain supplies amid concerns over the weather-reduced harvest in 2018. The Government has decided to issue export licences following the update of the national food balance sheet by the Ministry of Agriculture in January 2021 that indicated the country would have a sizeable maize surplus built up from the bumper maize outputs in 2019 and 2020. The export licences will be granted to traders that have proof of maize stocks from the previous cropping season and will be valid for a three-month period, with an aggregate national quota of 350 000 tonnes. The measure aims to free-up storage space and avoid wastage ahead of the upcoming 2021 maize harvest, which is set to start in April. According to official forecasts from the first round of crop estimates, the country is expected to harvest a maize crop well above the previous five-year average, reflecting favourable weather conditions and an increased use of agricultural inputs.