An extended dry spell will slash the corn harvest in southern Africa by 26 percent from last year’s bumper harvest, according to a quarterly FAO report. Corn is the major grain in the region, accounting for 80 percent of cereal production. The UN agency said there are early signs of “a severe worsening of the food security situation” in parts of Zimbabwe, Angola, Malawi, Madagascar and Namibia. With the smaller local crop, corn imports during the current marketing year are expected to be twice as large as the previous year. South Africa is the traditional supplier for the region but it suffered too – corn yields are down there by a third from 2014’s bountiful levels. Production of all grains in the region is forecast to be 16 percent lower than 2014.
FAO estimates that 34 countries, including 28 in Africa, “are in need of external assistance for food.” Some of the African nations host large numbers of refugees, and in others warfare disrupts farming.
In a companion report, FAO said its Food Price Index fell by 0.9 percent in June due to lower sugar and dairy prices and is at its lowest reading since September 2009. World cereal production was forecast for 2.527 billion tonnes, up slightly from the June forecast and just 1-percent smaller than the record crop of 2014.