SWAZILAND (25 February)
The country is divided into four agro-ecological zones in descending order of rainfed agricultural potential, viz: highveld, middleveld, plateau and lowveld. In the lowveld, a severe dry and hot spell in November completely destroyed the maize crop at its early stage. Those farmers who still had some seed or could purchase it from local markets replanted, but it is estimated that up to 85 percent will not harvest any maize at all. Targeted food assistance will therefore be necessary in 2003/04. Elsewhere in the country early prospects point to a satisfactory cereal crop this year. On the plateau and middleveld, although November was also dry (but less hot), fair to good harvests are expected, while in the highveld a very good crop is in prospect if the remainder of the season is normal.
The food supply situation is tight and maize meal prices are rising. This reflects a rather slow pace of commercial maize imports. As of 31 January 2003, some 32 000 tonnes of maize out of the planned imports of 56 000 tonnes (or 57 percent) had arrived. One major reason for the slow pace is the high price of maize grain charged to millers by the country’s sole maize importer, National Maize Corporation (NMC), which currently charges R1950 per tonne compared to the landed cost of R1285 per tonne.