ZIMBABWE’S cereal import requirements for the 2020/21 year are estimated at about 1,1 million tonnes amid concern over the country’s capacity to access offshore supplies at a time it is battling worsening foreign currency shortages, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said.
“Due to a second consecutive year with a below average cereal outturn and the low level of domestic stocks, cereal import requirements in the 2020/21 marketing year (April/March) are estimated at about 1,1 million tonnes, more than 50% above the five-year average.
It pointed out that food insecurity was expected to worsen from the third quarter of 2020 to early next year due to a decline in cereal production, weakening currency, food price increases and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
FAO said the aggregate total cereal production was forecast at 1,2 million tonnes in 2020, 15% below the five-year average, but above the low level of 2019 when production was severely affected by extreme weather events, including drought and Cyclone Idai.
Production of maize is estimated at about 910 000 tonnes in 2020, about 25% below the five-year average although higher than the previous year’s low level.
