Moz faces acute grain shortage

MAPUTO – Mozambique will need to import at least 1,25 million tonnes of maize, wheat and rice by August to cover food shortages caused by floods, a government official said on Thursday.

Fernando Songane, co-ordinator of Mozambique’s National Agriculture Development Programme (PROAGRI), said at least 150 000 people in the country were in urgent need of food aid after severe floods in the centre of the country. “We have a shortfall of 500 000 tonnes of maize, 350 000 tonnes of wheat and 400 000 tonnes of rice in 2008,” Songane told Reuters in an interview.”Some 150 000 people are facing acute hunger due to flooding in central Mozambique and we need to start planting before the situation gets out hand in August.”Mozambique’s annual grain and cereal imports are normally around 500 000 tonnes, mostly of wheat and rice, which are not produced locally, rather than maize.Two tropical cyclones have hit Mozambique since February, killing at least 22 people and displacing thousands of others.The former Portuguese colony has also suffered damage from floods that have engulfed parts of southern Africa since December after heavy rains further inland, killing at least 45 people and causing massive damage to crops and livestock.Songane said Mozambican farmers produced 2,17 million tonnes of grain during the 2007 harvest, compared with 2,10 million the previous year, but this would still not be enough to meet local food needs.Severe bouts of dry weather reduced crop yields in the 2007 harvest in parts of southern and central Mozambique, but abundant rains led to unexpectedly large yields in other parts of the country of 20 million people.Government officials have warned that the country’s maize output – one of the lowest in Southern Africa – needs to quadruple if it is to satisfy the needs of consumers.”Under PROAGRI, Mozambique needs to introduce new agricultural technologies, improved seeds, more widespread use of irrigation, better pest control, and an improved marketing system in order to achieve this,” said Songane.Nampa-Reuters”We have a shortfall of 500 000 tonnes of maize, 350 000 tonnes of wheat and 400 000 tonnes of rice in 2008,” Songane told Reuters in an interview.”Some 150 000 people are facing acute hunger due to flooding in central Mozambique and we need to start planting before the situation gets out hand in August.”Mozambique’s annual grain and cereal imports are normally around 500 000 tonnes, mostly of wheat and rice, which are not produced locally, rather than maize.Two tropical cyclones have hit Mozambique since February, killing at least 22 people and displacing thousands of others.The former Portuguese colony has also suffered damage from floods that have engulfed parts of southern Africa since December after heavy rains further inland, killing at least 45 people and causing massive damage to crops and livestock.Songane said Mozambican farmers produced 2,17 million tonnes of grain during the 2007 harvest, compared with 2,10 million the previous year, but this would still not be enough to meet local food needs.Severe bouts of dry weather reduced crop yields in the 2007 harvest in parts of southern and central Mozambique, but abundant rains led to unexpectedly large yields in other parts of the country of 20 million people.Government officials have warned that the country’s maize output – one of the lowest in Southern Africa – needs to quadruple if it is to satisfy the needs of consumers.”Under PROAGRI, Mozambique needs to introduce new agricultural technologies, improved seeds, more widespread use of irrigation, better pest control, and an improved marketing system in order to achieve this,” said Songane.Nampa-Reuters