World Grain - February 2024 - 16

COUNTRY FOCUS
KEY FACTS
FOCUS ON
ZIMBABWE
With economy heavily reliant on agriculture,
nation braces for drop in crop production
by Susan Reidy
Faced with reduced rainfall due to El Niño, Zimbabwe is bracing for
a possibly significant fall in crop production that could leave a large
portion of its rural population without enough food.
At the end of 2023, government officials said corn (maize) production
could be halved to 1.1 million tonnes in 2024 with the agriculture
sector shrinking by nearly 5%. But a few weeks into the new
year, officials said El Niño had weakened and recent rains had farmers
predicting a " decent " crop for 2024.
The nation experienced above-average cereal production in 2023,
setting a record in wheat production, as weather conditions were favorable
in the 2022-23 growing season.
Zimbabwe's economy is heavily reliant on agriculture, accounting
for 17% of the gross domestic product and providing 60% to 70%
of the nation's employment. The performance of agriculture is a key
determinant of rural livelihood resilience and poverty levels, according
to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United
Nations.
Chronic malnutrition is a major challenge for the nation and 3.5
million people are acutely food insecure and in need of assistance,
the FAO said. High food prices, weak economic growth
and reduced production are the primary causes of
the high food insecurity. The food inflation
rate in 2023 was consistently in double
digits.
From January to March, it's estimated
that 26% of the rural population
will not have enough cereal
and will need more than 100,000
tonnes of corn. The World Food
Programme will provide food
assistance
to 230,000 of the
most vulnerable people in four
areas of Zimbabwe.
Of its 39 million total hectares,
33.3 million hectares are used for
agricultural purposes, according to
the FAO, with 4.13 million hectares
of arable land. As weather patterns
have changed and droughts have become
16
Capital: Harare
Population: 15,418,674 (2023 est.)
Religions: Protestant 74.8% (includes Apostolic
37.5%, Pentecostal 21.8%, other 15.5%),
Roman Catholic 7.3%, other Christian 5.3%,
traditional 1.5%, Muslim 0.5%, other 0.1%,
none 10.5% (2015 est.).
Location: Southern Africa, between South
Africa and Zambia.
Government: Presidential republic. Chief of
state and head of government: Emmerson
Dambudzo Mnangagwa (since Sept. 4, 2023).
Economy: Low-income, sub-Saharan economy
with political instability, endemic corruption
and ongoing hyperinflation. The economy
has excellent human capital, although
some skill shortages are emerging in some
sectors. The nation has abundant mineral
and natural resources that can support its
development objectives. Economic development
continues to be hampered by several
challenges. Real GDP growth remained high
at 6.5% in 2022, driven by a continued growth
in agricultural production. Mineral exporters
benefited from rising high global prices.
However,
triple-digit
inflation
constrained
demand from the private sector, slowing
projected GDP growth in 2023. Although
extreme poverty has declined since its peak
in 2020, it remains high in the context of cyclical
agricultural production and elevated
food prices. Persistent inflation, high dependence
on low-productivity agriculture, slow
structural transformation, and intermittent
shocks like drought, natural disasters, and
the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed
to the high rate of poverty and vulnerability
in Zimbabwe. High, unsustainable debt
and arrears to international financial institutions
(IFIs) continue limiting fiscal space and
growth potential.
GDP per capita: $2,100 (2021); inflation:
98.55% (2021 est.); unemployment: 5.17%
(2021 est.).
Currency: Zimbabwean dollar (ZWL); 361.9
Zimbabwean dollars equal 1 US dollar (Jan.
17, 2024).
Exports: $5.263 billion (2021): gold, tobacco,
iron alloys, nickel, diamonds, jewelry (2019).
Imports: $5.489 billion (2021): refined petroleum,
delivery trucks, packaged medicines,
fertilizers, tractors (2019).
Agriculture: 17% (2022) of GDP and 61.6% of
the labor force (2021).
Internet: Code: .zw ; 5.6million (2021 est.)
users.
Source : CIA World Factbook/World Bank
February 2024 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
http://www.World-Grain.com
World Grain - February 2024

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