The Zimbabwean government has released a crop assessment report that forecasts a staggering 72% drop in staple maize production for the 2023/24 season, worsening the country’s already dire food situation due to an El Nino-induced drought.
Zimbabwe is one of the three southern African countries to have declared the ravaging drought a national disaster, following similar declarations by Zambia and Malawi.
According to the government’s report, the estimated maize production is expected to reach only 634,699 metric tonnes (MT), a significant decrease from the previous season. This is concerning, given that Zimbabweans typically consume around 2 million MT of staple maize every year.
The region is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years, which is attributed to a combination of the naturally occurring El Nino and the higher average temperatures produced by greenhouse gas emissions. El Nino is a weather phenomenon associated with a disruption of wind patterns, leading to warmer ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific.
To cover the deficit, the Zimbabwean government plans to import grain, with private millers looking to source 1.4 million MT of white and yellow maize from various countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Argentina, and the United States, over the next two months.
Zimbabwe has appealed for $2 billion in humanitarian aid from agencies and well-wishers to help feed millions affected by the drought. The government has also stated that it will reallocate some budgeted funds from other portfolios to fund the grain importation efforts.
The severe drought in Zimbabwe is part of a broader trend of record-breaking weather extremes witnessed globally in 2023, which climate change has exacerbated. Despite the country’s efforts to address the crisis, Zimbabwe’s agricultural prospects, a mainstay of its economy, continue to be hampered by the impacts of climate change and the ongoing legacy of the 2000 land reforms under former president Robert Mugabe.