SADC famine warning system predicts bumper harvest in most of region
APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Food
Security Early Warning System, Agromet Update, published on Monday that most
of the region should expect better yields than achieved last year but warned
of localised crop failures in countries where planting was affected by
flooding.
The Agromet Update showed that summer crop conditions pointed to bumper
harvests in the bulk of SADC states during the 2010/11 farming season that
ends in March.
Yields of the staple maize crop are expected to be better than last year in
countries like Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The cropping update noted that despite the heavy rains and flooding that
destroyed more than 20,000 hectares of crops in Mozambique’s southern and
central provinces in January, the country was forecasting high yields this
season.
However the flooding and water-logging that affected South Africa and
Lesotho in January and February is expected to see agricultural output being
lower than in the past season.
Reports from South Africa indicate that about R1 billion (about US$142
million) was lost in agricultural production due to the flooding while
another R1 billion was lost in damage to farm infrastructure.
The estimated planted area for maize was 2.5 million ha, 8.3 percent lower
than the previous season.
In Lesotho, above normal rainfall since December 2010 has led to
water-logging in the western lowlands and has hampered field activities such
as weeding.
JN/ad/APA
2011-02-21