Source: ‘Maize production below average’ – DailyNews Live

STAFF REPORTER      15 March 2018

HARARE – National maize production for 2017-18 will most likely be
below-average, the US Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fewsnet) has
said, but government has said the country has enough grain reserves to
last until next year.

The Fewsnet, in its February report, said following below-normal rains
during the first half of the cropping season, as well as a prolonged and
abnormally dry and hot spell in January, widespread rains were received in
February.

“The rains have resulted in the recovery of some late-planted crops which
were at a critical wilting point,” Fewsnet said in a statement.

“Unfortunately for most areas in the south and other parts of the country
where crops were planted earlier, much of these crops had permanently
wilted. The rains have also improved water and pasture conditions in most
areas.”

David Marapira, the deputy minister of Agriculture, has said Zimbabwe has
strategic reserves of more than 500 000 tonnes of maize that will last the
country for a year.

Fewsnet said national maize supply was above-average and is expected to
remain so until the end of the current marketing year in March due to high
crop production from last season.