LESOTHO (25 February)
Prospects for the 2003 cereal crops, to be harvested from April, are uncertain. Rainfall was below normal at the beginning of the cropping season in October and virtually ceased in November. This adversely affected land preparation and planting. In addition, in the main maize growing districts of Maseru, Leribe, Berea and Butha-Buthe, planting was further delayed due to late importation of fertilizers and seed and provision of ploughing services by the Government, all of which were subsidized at the rate of 50 percent, with the balance as credit to be repaid after harvest. The objective of the subsidy was to boost maize production following two consecutive years of poor harvests. As a result of late planting, most maize in these districts was at the vegetative stage in mid-February, when it should have been at flowering and silking stage. There is, therefore, the risk that the crop may not have reached maturity at the normal end of the rains in early April. But if the rains continue through April, a good harvest can be expected. The crop needs to be intensively monitored in order to keep decision makers fully briefed on the evolution of the season and the food security implications.
In the mountain districts of Thaba-Tseka, Mokhotlong and Qacha’s Nek, where rains normally start earlier than in the above districts, planting was generally on time and without waiting for subsidized inputs. As a result, maize (a local highland variety) especially in Thaba-Tseka was at the grain-filling stage or approaching maturity in mid-February. In Mokhotlong, however, a recurrence of frost in December and January destroyed a large part of the maize, pea and potato crops, and the food outlook for 2003/04 is unfavourable. However, the production of the winter wheat crop (planted in June/July 2002 and now being harvested) is quite favourable.
In the southern districts of Mafeteng, Mohale’s Hoek and Quthing, which together average less rainfall than the other regions of the country, crop prospects are unfavourable due to insufficient and erratic rainfall, and the food outlook is poor. Targeted food assistance will continue to be necessary through 2003.
The overall food supply situation remains tight, with the level of maize meal prices reported to be among the highest in southern Africa. This is in part due to inadequate milling capacity which is constraining availability of maize meal from grain imported both commercially and as food aid.