Regional hunger shame

SADC announced that the food crisis in the region was higher in 2008 compared to the previous year, largely due to the crisis in Zimbabwe.

“In spite of the expected improvement in cereal production, food insecurity and malnutrition among the vulnerable groups remains high,” said SADC. “The increase is attributed to a rise in the number of food insecure people in Zimbabwe.”

The regional bloc added that despite improved food output in the region, the number of people without enough to feed themselves, and still seeking humanitarian assistance, rose from the 2008 figure of 6.48 million to about 7.6 million this year. This was despite the fact that the cereal shortfall in the region fell from 3.68 million to 1.60 million tonnes during the 2008/09 farming season.

The region’s maize surplus rose to 1,86 million tonnes in 2008/09 compared with 111,000 tonnes in the previous season, said SADC.

Most countries in the regional groupings 15 member states had overall cereal deficits of between 68 000 tonnes and one million tonnes. Namibia has the lowest deficit of 68 000 tonnes, while Zimbabwe is highest with a deficit of one million tonnes.

Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia are the only countries without a deficit, according to SADC.

Below normal rains are expected to adversely affect maize production in Lesotho, Tanzania and in South Africa, the continent’s top producer of the grain. The reduction in South Africa’s output was due to a lower area planted to maize resulting from low world prices, SADC said.

Meanwhile, South Africa revealed that it will next month deliver R60 million (US$7.18 million) worth of fertiliser, which is the last part of its R300 million agriculture aid package for Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe, the erstwhile bread basket of Southern Africa, is currently failing to feed half of its population of about 11 million people, largely due to President Robert Mugabes land reform program, which began in 2000 and is blamed for destroying the countrys agricultural production.