ZIMBABWE* (1 June)
An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission that visited the country from 21 April to 10 May 2003 estimated cereal output at 980 000 tonnes, 41 percent higher than last year’s poor harvest. Production of maize, the main staple, was estimated at 803 000 million tonnes, 61 percent up compared to last year, but 46 percent lower than in 2000/01. The major causes of the much lower than normal production of cereals this year include erratic rainfall, limited availability of seed and fertilizer, particularly in view of two or three replantings needed in many areas, and the newly settled farmers not being able to utilize all the land due to lack of access to adequate capital and inputs, or collateral to procure them. Following the land reform programme, the large-scale commercial sector now produces only about one tenth of its output in the 1990s.
Although national cereal production is considerably up on last year, a significant food gap remains, particularly affecting those who lost their crops mainly due to erratic weather in different parts of the country. Coping mechanisms are seriously stressed or largely exhausted after the severe shortages last year. Cereal import requirements for the marketing year 2003/04 are estimated at 1.3 million tonnes, of which maize accounts for 980 000 tonnes. Taking into account an anticipated commercial cereal import of 677 000 tonnes (370 000 tonnes of maize, 298 000 tonnes of wheat and 9 000 tonnes of rice) there is a deficit of 610 000 tonnes to be covered by food aid. Against this requirement, food aid in pipeline amounts to 140 000 tonnes. There is need of additional pledges for 470 000 tonnes, all maize. There is a severe shortage of maize seed in Zimbabwe, which if not addressed will greatly limit plantings in the coming season. Appropriate varieties of maize and also small grain seeds need to be sourced immediately for delivery in September 2003.