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Production
Estimates and Crop Assessment Division |
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Production
Estimates and Crop Assessment Division |
June 17, 2002
Estimated grain production for 2001/02 has been revised for southern Africa due to new information about planted area and the effects of this season’s unfavorable weather. Total corn production for the region (which includes South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Swaziland, Lesotho and Botswana) is estimated at 12.8 million tons, slightly higher than last year's poor crop but not enough to meet the local demand. The grain shortfall, combined with various political, economic and social problems in the region, has resulted in a regional food security crisis which is now being addressed by the international community. The main targets for assistance are those most at risk of hunger, including refugees, displaced farm workers, urban residents, women and children, and HIV/AID victims.
Corn is the staple food grain in southern Africa and the most important crop in the region, although sorghum, millet, wheat, rice, and tuber crops are also widely grown. The following report focuses on the corn production situation in southern Africa as the 2001/02 harvest gets underway.
Zimbabwe’s 2001/02 corn crop is estimated at just 500,000 tons, down 66 percent from last year’s poor crop and the lowest output since 1991/92. Many factors contributed to Zimbabwe’s catastrophic harvest this year: seasonal rainfall was down by 75 percent in many crop areas, agricultural inputs (fertilizer, fuel, irrigation water) were very costly or unavailable, high-yielding commercial farmland was taken out of production, and serious economic and political problems disrupted the agricultural sector. Corn production in Zambia is estimated at 620,000 tons in 2001/02, down 23 percent from last year and the smallest crop since 1997/98. Zambia has suffered from severe drought for three consecutive years. Malawi corn production is estimated at 1.54 million tons in 2001/02, down 10 percent from last year due to lower estimated yield The weather was drier than normal this season, but relatively mild temperatures mitigated the effect of the dryness.
A severe drought in Swaziland dropped corn production to 70,000 tons for 2001/02, down 7 percent from last year’s poor crop. There was almost no rainfall after January and temperatures averaged 3 to 5 C. above normal all season. In contrast, Lesotho’s corn crop was hurt by excessive rainfall at planting and cold, dry weather during the main growing season. Production dropped to an estimated 35,000 tons in 2001/02, down 40 percent from last year and down 75 percent from an average crop of 140,000 tons (1996 - 2000 average). Botswana is a minor corn producer and imports nearly all of its food grain from South Africa. Production in 2001/02 is estimated at 6,000 tons
Corn production increased in South Africa and Mozambique this year. South Africa’s 2001/02 corn production is estimated at 8.8 million tons, unchanged from last month but up 17 percent from last year’s below-normal crop. The increase was due to generally favorable weather and increased area. Domestic consumption is estimated at 8.0 to 8.1 million tons, leaving about 800,000 tons available for export this year. Corn production in Mozambique is estimated at 1.24 million tons, up 8 percent from last year and up 22 percent from the 1999/00 crop. Although drought hurt corn and sorghum yields in the southern part of the country, higher planted area and adequate rainfall in the main corn producing provinces of northern Mozambique kept national production from falling. Widespread flooding was the main reason for Mozambique’s poor harvests in 1999/00 and 2000/01.
