Zimbabwe Key Message Update May – September 2026: Food access improves with harvests, but grain prices remain high in deficit areas

• 
  Stressed
  (IPC
  Phase
  2)
  outcomes
  are
  expected
  through
  September
  2026
  in
  deficit-producing
  areas
  as
  the
  April
  to
  June
  main
  crop
  harvest
  progresses. Households
  in
  these
  areas
  are
  accessing
  food
  through
  their
  own-produced
  crop
  harvest,
  despite
  localized
  impacts
  to
  production
  from
  excessive
  rainfall
  and
  prolonged
  dry
  spells
  during
  the
  November
  2025
  to
  March
  2026
  rainy
  season.
  However,
  households
  still
  have
  limited
  cash
  incomes
  –
  in
  part
  due
  to
  below-average
  access
  to
  casual
  labor,
  livestock
  sales,
  wild
  produce
  such
  as Mopane worms,
  remittances
  and
  other
  sources
  –
  preventing
  them
  from
  meeting
  essential
  non-food
  needs.
• 
  Minimal
  (IPC
  Phase
  1)
  outcomes
  are
  ongoing
  and
  expected
  through
  September
  in
  typical
  surplus-producing
  areas
  in
  the
  Mashonaland
  Provinces and
  other
  parts
  of
  the
  country.
  Households
  can
  meet
  their
  food
  and
  non-food
  needs,
  despite
  localized
  impacts
  to
  production
  from
  excessive
  rainfall
  and
  dry
  spells.
  Households
  will
  have
  access
  to
  own-produced
  stocks
  and
  sufficient
  income
  from
  food
  and
  cash
  crop
  sales,
  casual
  labor,
  self-employment,
  and
  other
  typical
  sources.
• 
  Increased
  availability
  of
  staple
  cereals
  at
  household
  and
  market
  levels
  is
  resulting
  in
  seasonal
  price
  declines
  in
  surplus-producing
  areas. Maize
  grain
  prices
  are
  between
  0.23-0.29
  USD/kilogram
  (kg)
  (or
  4-5
  USD/17.5
  kg
  bucket),
  about
  40-50
  percent
  lower
  than
  prices
  during
  the
  January
  to
  March
  2026
  peak
  lean
  season.
  However,
  household
  and
  open
  market
  staple
  cereal
  stocks
  are
  limited
  in
  some
  deficit-producing
  southern
  and
  eastern
  areas
  where
  crop
  production
  was
  low.
  The
  movement
  of
  staple
  cereal
  from
  surplus-
  to
  deficit-producing
  areas
  is
  still
  low
  across
  most
  areas,
  as
  most
  farmers
  with
  surpluses
  have
  not
  yet
  finished
  harvesting
  and
  are
  not
  yet
  ready
  to
  sell
  their
  grain.
  As
  a
  result,
  staple
  cereal
  prices
  in
  deficit-producing
  areas
  remain
  elevated,
  around
  0.46
  USD/kg
  (8
  USD/bucket).
  The
  demand
  for
  maize
  meal
  in
  these
  areas
  also
  remains
  unseasonally
  high.
• 
  Above-average
  water
  availability following
  average
  to
  above-average
  cumulative
  rainfall
  received
  during
  the
  November
  2025
  to
  March
  2026
  rainy
  season
  is
  supporting
  winter
  crop
  production
  and
  seasonal
  livelihood
  activities
  such
  as
  casual
  labor,
  horticultural
  production,
  brick
  making,
  and
  construction
  labor.
  Other
  seasonal
  activities
  include
  the
  harvesting
  and
  sale
  of
  wild
  products
  such
  as
  thatch
  grass
  and
  wild
  fruits,
  crafts,
  and
  petty
  trade.
• 
  Livestock
  conditions,
  prices,
  and
  income
  are
  expected
  to
  be
  above
  average through
  the
  outlook
  period,
  supported
  by fair
  to
  good
  pasture
  conditions and
  above-average
  hay,
  silage,
  and
  stover
  stocks.
  However,
  the
  prevalence
  of
  livestock
  diseases,
  such
  as
  January
  disease,
  lumpy
  skin
  disease,
  foot
  and
  mouth
  disease,
  and
  others
  in
  some
  areas
  will
  affect
  livestock
  conditions,
  reducing
  potential
  income
  from
  livestock
  sales.
• 
  Fuel
  price
  and
  transport
  fare
  increases driven
  by
  the
  conflict
  in
  the
  Middle
  East
  continue
  to
  negatively
  impact
  poor
  households’
  livelihoods,
  disposable
  income,
  and
  access
  to
  markets.
  Despite
  relative
  stability
  in
  the
  prices
  of
  some
  basic
  food
  and
  non-food
  commodities,
  increases
  in
  production
  and
  freight
  costs
  and
  some
  commodity
  supply
  disruptions
  will
  likely
  push
  price
  increases
  for
  some
  commodities
  in
  the
  near
  term.
  According
  to
  the Zimbabwe
  National
  Statistics
  Agency
  (ZIMSTAT),
  the
  May
  local
  ZiG
  (0.5
  percent)
  and
  USD
  (0.3
  percent)
  monthly
  inflation
  decreased
  by
  0.6
  and
  0.8
  percent,
  respectively,
  from
  April.

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Agriculture