ZIMBABWE* (13 October)
Various reports indicate that maize purchases by the government’s Grain Marketing Board (GMB) have been significantly lower than expected. As stated by the FEWS-NET this year the average price of maize during post-harvest period in April was much higher than normal, between Zim$ 5 000 – 8 000 per bucket (equivalent to 18kg). Prices soared to Zim$ 10 000-12 000 a bucket in mid-September. A joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission in April 2004 estimated 2004 total cereal production (excluding barley) at about 950 000 tonnes with a margin of error of 10 percent. This compares with last year’s about 1 million tonnes. Assuming relatively low levels of stocks, the country needs to import over one million tonnes of cereals for 2004/05 marketing year (April/March).
According to some reports, maize seed required for October/November main season planting is already in short supply with an expected deficit of more than 40 000 tonnes.
Hyper inflation estimated at annual rate of 314 percent in August 2004 combined with extremely high levels of unemployment greatly limit access to food for the most vulnerable population groups. According to the Vulnerability Assessment Committee (VAC) about 2.3 million people in rural areas alone will not be able to cover their food needs, and possibly just as many in the urban areas. According to WFP, poor households in the traditionally grain deficit areas along the Zambezi River and in the southern parts of Manicaland, Masvingo and the Matebeleland provinces, are some of the worst hit.