Zimbabwe needs to import 1 million tonnes of maize to stave off hunger

Published Jun 18, 2024

Tridge summary

The United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service forecasts that Zimbabwe will need to import one million metric tonnes of maize in the 2024/25 season due to a 60% decline in crop production from an El Niño-induced drought. This drought has severely affected Southern Africa, with Zimbabwe being one of the worst-hit. The Zimbabwean government has declared a national disaster and is seeking over US$2 billion in aid. With domestic corn production expected to fall to 635,000 metric tonnes, Zimbabwe will need to import corn from countries like Brazil, Russia, Argentina, and the United States, with genetically engineered corn requiring quarantine before milling.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

In a statement, the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said the prediction was based on a 60% decline in crop production for the current season. THE United States government says Zimbabwe might need to import one million metric tonnes of maize in the next agricultural season owing to the current El Niño-induced drought. Southern Africa is currently reeling under an El Niño-induced drought, with some countries like Zimbabwe, hard hit. Government recently declared a national disaster and requested more than US$2 billion in aid to combat the drought, way higher than other regional nations. In a statement, the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service said the prediction was based on a 60% decline in crop production for the current season. “Post-estimates (indicate) that Zimbabwe will have to import approximately 1,0 million metric tonnes (MMT) of corn in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 to meet food security demands. This ...

Source: Agrifocusafrica