According to a cabinet statement, Zimbabwe plans to harvest 2.3 million tonnes of the main maize grain this year, a 58% increase over the previous season due to excellent rainfall.
Since former President Robert Mugabe oversaw the seizure of farms held by white people at the turn of the 2000 to relocate landless Black people, the southern African country of about 16 million people has struggled to feed itself. Zimbabwe has also seen repeated droughts as a result of climate change in recent years.
Zimbabwe also anticipates harvesting 280,996 tonnes of drought-resistant cereals such as sorghum and millet, a 45% increase over the previous season, as the government strives to mitigate the impact of climate change on family food security.
“Total cereal production is 2,579,247 tonnes, compared to a national cereal requirement of 1,837,742 tonnes for human consumption and 450,000 tonnes for livestock, resulting in a surplus,” the cabinet stated.
The government has also raised its GDP prediction for 2023 to 6% from 4% before, owing to a favourable summer agricultural season, according to the cabinet.
Source: Investing.com
