FAO/WFP crop and food supply assessment mission to Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe experienced incessant rains in the first half of the 2007/08 cropping season during December- January causing severe water logging followed by prolonged dry spells, through much of the country compounding the devastating effects of a decade-long economic decline.

Against this backdrop, an FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission (CFSAM) was invited by the Government. The Mission visited the country from April to May 2008 to carry out an independent assessment of the 2008 production of the main cereals, assess the overall food security situation and determine the food import requirement, including food assistance needs, for the current marketing year. This document outlines the results of this Mission.

The Mission used national, provincial and district production data and combined this with information obtained from household and focus-group discussions. Potential income from cash crop and livestock production/sales was used to draw conclusions about the status of food security and the corresponding impacts of the production failure. Mission highlights outlined in this document include:

• for a second consecutive year the combined impact of adverse weather, lack of timely availability of inputs and severe economic constraints in Zimbabwe have induced hardship and food insecurity among both rural and urban populations
• primary factors responsible for this year’s decline, in addition to adverse weather, were untimely delivery of seeds and shortages of fertilizer, deteriorating infrastructure, and most importantly unprofitable prices for most of the GMB controlled crops
• given the acute shortage of foreign currency, the dwindling export base, and high prices of maize in the region and internationally, the Mission estimates that total commercial cereal imports could be about 850 000 tonnes, leaving an uncovered deficit of about 380 000 tonnes of maize
• the market availability of cereals for households that have purchasing power will be crucial to avoid more people becoming food insecure due to scarcity and higher food prices that could result from such scarcity
• the Mission also recommends emergency assistance by the Government and the international community to supply timely and quality seed and fertiliser, and dipping chemicals for the control of tick-borne livestock diseases