Zimbabwe forecasts huge grain deficit amid El Nino-induced drought

Zimbabwe’s staple maize harvest is expected to halve to 1.1 million tons in 2024 due to an El Nino-induced drought, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said on Wednesday, flagging a huge grain deficit that threatens food security in poor households. Source: Zimbabwe forecasts huge grain deficit amid El Nino-induced drought | Reuters Farm workers walk along a maize field at Dormervale farm east of Harare, Zimbabwe, November 28, 2017. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s staple maize harvest is expected to halve to 1.1 million tons in 2024 due to an El Nino-induced drought, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said on Wednesday, flagging a huge grain deficit that threatens food security in poor households. The southern African country requires about 1.8 million tons of maize annually for human consumption and projected a 2.3 million ton maize harvest in 2023. The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Famine Early Warning ...