rainfall
boosted
output
and
reversed
a
sharp
decline
last
year
when
an El
Nino-induced
drought forced
the
country
to
rely
on imports,
including
genetically
modified
maize.
“We
assess
the
situation
every
day.
We
must
protect
local
purchases
from
our
local
farmers,”
Obert
Jiri,
Permanent
Secretary
at
the
Ministry
of
Agriculture,
told
Reuters.
Zimbabwe,
which
consumes
about
1.8
million
metric
tons
of
maize
annually,
saw
production
fall
to
around
800,000
metric
tons
in
2023/24
from
2.3
million
metric
tons
two
years
earlier.
That
crisis
prompted
the
southern
African
government
to
temporarily
lift
import
restrictions
to
ease
food
shortages.
Jiri
said
this
year’s
recovery,
combined
with
state
support
programmes
such
as
the
Pfumvudza
smallholder
scheme,
has
left
the
country
with
enough
stocks.
Independent
analyst
Paul
Chidziva
warned
that
Zimbabwe’s
agriculture
sector
–
which
employs
around
70%
of
the
population
–
remains
vulnerable
to
droughts
and
other
extreme
weather
events
exacerbated
by
climate
change.
The
government
is
promoting
drought-tolerant
crops
such
as
sorghum
and
millet.
Jiri
said
the
current
surplus
provides
a
rare
opportunity
to
reinforce
food
security
and
reduce
reliance
on
imports.
Zimbabwe
spent
$300
million
in
scarce
foreign
currency
importing
maize
in
2020
as
successive
droughts
left
more
than
half
the
population
in
need
of
food
aid.