Southern Africa food security improves

HARARE – Southern Africa expects a 19 per cent decline in maize output from last season, but food security remains significantly better than recent years due to improved domestic supplies, a US-based food security agency said.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) said in its June report, seen by Reuters on Sunday, that domestic maize output was set to improve in all countries in the region except Angola, South Africa and Tanzania, with increases ranging from 11 per cent in Mozambique to 385 per cent in Botswana. “Reports from across the region indicate that the food security of many of the region’s vulnerable populations has been steadily improving since the end of the hunger season in March, when seasonal crops became available,” the network said.”Despite this positive picture …there are pockets of vulnerable groups that have been assessed through the ongoing national vulnerability assessments in most southern African countries,” it added, singling out Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Swaziland, Namibia, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.It said it saw no major emergency distributions of food aid outside Angola and perhaps Zimbabwe.FEWSNET reiterated that the drop in overall cereal output for the region stemmed from a sharp reduction in area planted for maize in South Africa this past season.Farmers there planted much less, in response to low prices last year when they had a bumper crop.South Africa on average contributes just over 50 per cent to regional cereal production, so its estimated 46 per cent drop in production has affected overall availability.The region needed to import 4,74 million tonnes of cereals during the current marketing year in order to meet consumption requirements, a 6 per cent decrease over last year’s shortfall.Zimbabwe was still the largest importer of South African maize, receiving 45 per cent of the regional breadbasket’s total exports to its neighbours.Estimates for Zimbabwe’s production have varied from 900 000 tonnes to the government’s forecast of 1,7 million tonnes.Even in countries such as Malawi and Zambia which have far better harvests this season after big shortages last year, there are many vulnerable families which still need food aid because AIDS has killed breadwinners or they cannot afford food at market prices.The United Nations World Food Programme has said it needs US$85 million to provide food assistance for some three million people in southern Africa to the end of December.- Nampa-Reuters”Reports from across the region indicate that the food security of many of the region’s vulnerable populations has been steadily improving since the end of the hunger season in March, when seasonal crops became available,” the network said.”Despite this positive picture …there are pockets of vulnerable groups that have been assessed through the ongoing national vulnerability assessments in most southern African countries,” it added, singling out Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Swaziland, Namibia, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.It said it saw no major emergency distributions of food aid outside Angola and perhaps Zimbabwe.FEWSNET reiterated that the drop in overall cereal output for the region stemmed from a sharp reduction in area planted for maize in South Africa this past season.Farmers there planted much less, in response to low prices last year when they had a bumper crop.South Africa on average contributes just over 50 per cent to regional cereal production, so its estimated 46 per cent drop in production has affected overall availability.The region needed to import 4,74 million tonnes of cereals during the current marketing year in order to meet consumption requirements, a 6 per cent decrease over last year’s shortfall.Zimbabwe was still the largest importer of South African maize, receiving 45 per cent of the regional breadbasket’s total exports to its neighbours.Estimates for Zimbabwe’s production have varied from 900 000 tonnes to the government’s forecast of 1,7 million tonnes.Even in countries such as Malawi and Zambia which have far better harvests this season after big shortages last year, there are many vulnerable families which still need food aid because AIDS has killed breadwinners or they cannot afford food at market prices.The United Nations World Food Programme has said it needs US$85 million to provide food assistance for some three million people in southern Africa to the end of December.- Nampa-Reuters