Zim still expects to go hungry despite increase in expected maize

HARARE - Zimbabwe is expecting to record an estimated 17 percent increase in maize production for the 2019/20 agricultural season, but the output is still short of the country’s national requirements.

The country’s estimated maize production is 907, 628 tonnes, which is 17 percent more than the 776, 635 tonnes produced during the 2018/2019 season, according to the second round of crop and livestock report just released.

The outturn is however, still half of the national maize requirements of 1.8 million tonnes.

The total cereal production in the country is 1, 060, 143 tonnes, against a national cereal requirement of 2, 227, 782 tonnes for human and livestock consumption.

There was no carry-over stock at the national grain reserve from the previous season, and a larger deficit compared to last year is expected.

There are more than 4.3 million people severely food insecure in rural areas in Zimbabwe, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis, undertaken in February 2020.

In addition, 2.2 million people in urban areas are “cereal food insecure,” according to the most recent Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee analysis.

The 2019/2020 season was characterised by late onset of rains across the country, with false starts to the rainy season in the southern and south-eastern parts of the country, the Ministry of Agriculture said in reference to the recently-ended season.

“Long dry spells in late December and January as well as the early cessation of the season negatively affected the planted crop,” reads part of the report. – FIN24.