August 8, 2012

Amid concern that about half the region is staring starvation during the 2012-13 consumption years, Southern Africa is facing a 98% decrease in the surplus of the staple corn crop this year.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Tuesday (Aug 7) in the latest Southern African Humanitarian Bulletin, the Southern African Development Community (SADC)'s corn surplus is forecast to decline from 2.73 million tonnes in 2011-12 to 570,000 during the current marketing season that ends in March 2013.

"Despite a total cereal regional deficit, the region is projecting an overall corn surplus of only 57,000 tonnes compared to surplus of 2.73 million tonnes last year: a 98% decrease," OCHA said.

Corn surpluses have been recorded in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia while a cereal deficit of about four million tonnes is projected for the region.

There are concerns for deficit areas of southern Malawi, Lesotho and Zimbabwe that face critical food shortages.

"In these countries, national governments will need external support to meet the food gaps," OCHA warned.

There is also expected increases in import demands from the structurally grain deficit countries of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland due to higher deficits than previous years.

About 1.63 million people are at risk of food insecurity in southern Malawi while 1.67 million Zimbabweans are estimated to require food aid until March 2013.