HARARE: Zimbabwe faces a 1.1 million metric tonnes cereal shortage until the next harvest in March/April 2016 and may have to rely on imports from its neighbours, a famine early warning system said Tuesday.According to the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET), following a poor cropping season, Zimbabwe experienced a national cereal deficit of about 1.1 million metric tonnes for the 2015-16 consumption year.
“As has been typical over the last few years, the country will import significant maize stocks to fill this cereal gap,” said FEWSNET.
It noted that neighbouring Zambia would likely be the main source of grain because it has around 800,000 metric tonnes of “exportable stocks.”
FEWSNET however warned that Zambia’s own maize export capacity was likely to be low this year following a 25-percent decline in production during the 2014/15 agricultural season. South Africa is another possible source for imports of the staple maize.
The agency noted that private traders are also likely to play an important role in Zimbabwe’s formal cereal imports, but warned that prices would likely increase beyond affordable levels for most poor households.
