Zimbabwe: Drought Linked to El Nino Threatens Maize Yield

Terry Manyimo, a farmer, always feels his heart in his throat Zimbabwe when he looks out at his field.

The northern Mazowe district of Zimbabwe is experiencing a protracted, severe drought.

“From the way I currently perceive our land, even a pail of maize would be… We’re not anticipating anything from this field, I don’t know,” Manyimo replies.

One million hectares of corn have been destroyed by the district’s inadequate rainfall. Authorities are working to close the gap between supply and demand, with industry insiders anticipating a rise in maize imports to satisfy the nation’s needs.

Grain has been arriving in Harare from South Africa, and more supplies are anticipated to be sent from Brazil.

According to our estimates, the drought alone will force us to purchase almost 1.1 million tonnes of maize between now and July 31, 2025, for use by humans and cattle,” stated Tafadzwa Musarara, chairman of the Grain Millers Association.

The president of Zimbabwe proclaimed a state of disaster in early April after more than 80% of the country had rainfall that was below average. Malawi and Zambia, two neighbors, made similar decisions.

People in this hard climate have to buy less food for more money.

Tafadzwa Musarara guarantees that millers do not profit from margins.

Because of the high demand, prices typically rise. Nonetheless, we will maintain the customary margins that we have been using for our pricing model.