Food security update

The Southern Africa Development Community’s (SADC) Food Security Unit forecasts an increased cereal harvest for the region this year. “Cereal production prospects for SADC are generally brighter than last year despite devastation caused by flooding in southern Mozambique and parts of South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana and Zimbabwe,” the report noted. The SADC update forecast a total cereal harvest of 23.79 million mt for the 1999/2000 season against last year’s 21.40 million mt. It said that maize production was expected to increase significantly in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Maize is the staple food in large parts of southern Africa. Production in South Africa is expected to reach 9.64 million mt against last year’s 7.50 million mt. In Zimbabwe, a harvest of 2.15 million mt is forecast, against last year’s 1.52 million mt. SADC said that production increases were also expected in Zambia and Namibia. In Malawi a maize output of 2.48 million mt is predicted, only a percentage point down from last year. A 3 percent decline is expected in Mozambique. SADC said that a regional maize surplus of 1.14 million mt was projected.