Southern Africa's food security has "greatly improved", according to the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS-NET), and unofficial estimates predict a better cereal harvest than last year.
"The total regional deficit for the 2009/10 marketing year is projected to be much lower [two million metric tons] than last year [2008], due to improved harvests, especially of maize, particularly in Malawi and Zambia," said the May issue of the FEWS-NET bulletin.
"Most projected deficits are for wheat, which all SADC [Southern African Development Community] countries produce in deficit and import from outside the region."
Only two of the SADC's 14 member states have released harvest estimates: Malawi is expecting a harvest of 3.88 million tons - a 30 percent increase over last year - while Zambia's estimated crop of 2.2 million tons is 51 percent higher than the previous year.
"Zimbabwe's preliminary estimates also point to an improved harvest this year, despite the February dry spell and other production challenges. The maize harvest is estimated at 1.24 million tons, a 92 percent increase over last year's worst ever production levels," FEWS-NET said.
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"The total regional deficit for the 2009/10 marketing year is projected to be much lower [two million metric tons] than last year [2008], due to improved harvests, especially of maize, particularly in Malawi and Zambia," said the May issue of the FEWS-NET bulletin.
"Most projected deficits are for wheat, which all SADC [Southern African Development Community] countries produce in deficit and import from outside the region."
Only two of the SADC's 14 member states have released harvest estimates: Malawi is expecting a harvest of 3.88 million tons - a 30 percent increase over last year - while Zambia's estimated crop of 2.2 million tons is 51 percent higher than the previous year.
"Zimbabwe's preliminary estimates also point to an improved harvest this year, despite the February dry spell and other production challenges. The maize harvest is estimated at 1.24 million tons, a 92 percent increase over last year's worst ever production levels," FEWS-NET said.
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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