The number of people in need of food aid is expected to go down this year from the over four million who in 2017 were estimated to be in crisis or emergency, the 2018 Global Report on Food Crises, the 2018 Global Report on Food Crises has revealed.
According to the report, Zimbabwe’s food security improved markedly from April 2017, mostly thanks to a significant rise in cereal production, reflecting both larger plantings and better seasonal rains, which boosted yields.
“Maize production in 2017 was more than four times that of 2016; it was estimated at a well above average level of 2.2 million metric tons.
“The larger harvest increased household food supplies, and average incomes in April 2017 were 20 percent higher than a year earlier, partly stemming from increased sales of agricultural produce.
“Maize meal prices were generally stable and lower than in 2016, mostly on account of larger domestic supplies and a stronger US dollar (the main currency used in the country) against the South African rand, which helped lower import costs from South Africa, the country’s main source of grain,” noted the report.
Prior to the 2017 season, FEWS NET reported that typical cereal-surplus areas and northern districts were experiencing Stressed food security.
In 2016 the production of maize, the country’s main staple, fell to well below average levels, acutely reducing food available until the 2017 harvest started in March/April, forcing households to engage in unsustainable and negative coping strategies, with incomes from casual and agricultural labour also substantially reduced.
According to the World Bank Overview 2017 Report, Political and economic crises between 2000 and 2008 nearly halved Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), causing poverty rates to rise more than 72 percent.
