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HARVEST PROSPECTS DETERIORATE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA FOLLOWING PROLONGED DRY SPELLS AND SEVERE FLOODS IN SEVERAL PARTS - 6 March 2001

Year of publication 2001

Author Trade and Markets Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title Special Reports and Alerts

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) With about two months to the end of the cropping season in southern Africa, harvest prospects have deteriorated reflecting adverse weather in several parts. The season generally started normally with timely, abundant and well distributed rains, except in a few locations. However, a prolonged dry spell in January in parts of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa and Zimbabwe, stressed crops. Rains resumed from mid-February providing relief to previously dry areas, but were r ather excessive in parts causing flooding in low-lying areas in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. For Mozambique, which had not yet fully recovered from the worst floods in living memory last year, the fresh floods affected some 400 000 persons, mostly in the Zambezi valley, but also in other low-lying areas in the central provinces of Sofala, Tete and Zambezia. In Malawi, 200 000 people have been displaced, mainly in southern areas along the Shire River, while in Zambia flooding has occurred along the Zambezi and Luangwa rivers. Besides displacing people, the floods have submerged crops in the affected areas, compromising the food security of large numbers of families who now urgently need humanitarian assistance. However, so far the impact of the floods is not a significant threat to national food security. In Mozambique, the area lost is estimated at about 22 000 hectares, against 167 000 hectares lost to last year's devastating floods, which mainly affected southern provinces. B ut should the heavy rains continue in the coming weeks harvest prospects in Malawi and Mozambique could deteriorate.

Language English

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    Food security in southern Mozambique has been seriously jeopardized by the worst floods for nearly half a century. Severe damage and destruction have been inflicted to crops (both in fields and stores) and livestock, as well as to housing, communication infrastructure (roads, bridges, railways, telephone lines, etc.). A full assessment of the agriculture and livestock damage is not yet possible. However, near-total crop losses are almost certain in the southern provinces of Maputo, Gaza and Inha mbane, where the most productive areas such as Boane and Chokwe are completely submerged, while serious losses are expected in the central provinces of Manica and Sofala. Preliminary estimates from provincial authorities indicate that at least 150 000 hectares of foodcrops have been lost to the floods in the five affected provinces. Livestock losses for the three southern provinces are provisionally estimated at 30 percent of the total cattle population. Extensive losses of small animals, such a s goats and chickens, are also reported. In these traditionally food-deficit provinces, the sharp reduction in cereal production in 2000 will be compounded by loss of farmers' food and seed stocks in household granaries.
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