Zimbabwe declares disaster over drought as crop output drop,



The Zimbabwean government has declared a state of disaster in all urban and rural areas following a drought that has cut crop output by more than half, the Civil Protection Unit said in the Government Gazette.

The drought has affected more than 5.7 million people, according to aid agencies, and the country expects to import as much as 800,000 tons of corn. Zimbabwe’s government has appealed for $464 million to stave off famine.
Zimbabwe agreed to buy 150,000 tons of South African corn after a tender five times that size failed, leaving the country short of grain as the number of people without adequate food rises, according to people familiar with the situation.
The grain is being supplied by Export Trading Group, said the people, who asked not to be identified as a public announcement hasn’t been made. The deal is for white corn, a staple food in Zimbabwe, and specifically non-genetically modified grain.
The southern African nation needs to import corn after a drought and floods from a cyclone slashed harvests. Zimbabwe’s corn crop is expected to plummet 54% this year and Agriculture Secretary Ringson Chitsiko warned in March the country only had seven months of grain stockpiles, including corn.
The government chose to negotiate smaller deals like the one with ETG after failing to agree on payment terms for an at least 750,000-ton international tender, said the people. Zimbabwe is in the midst of its worst financial crisis since 2008 and is struggling to finance essential imports of fuel and wheat.
Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-18/zimbabwe-buys-150-000-tons-south-african-corn-after-tender-fails


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