Much of southern Africa is bracing for significant food shortages this year as an El Niño-induced drought devastates crops and disrupts vital food security resources for rural communities.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), prolonged dryness across the sub-region is poised to have a substantial negative impact on acute food insecurity during the 2024-25 agricultural season.
“Concerns mostly relate to a likely downturn in agricultural production and its implications for food availability and access, due to losses of income for rural households and potential upturns in prices driven by supply pressures,” the FAO stated in its recent crop prospects and food situation report for southern Africa.
The report highlights that cumulative rainfall amounts across vast areas of the sub-region have been significantly below average, a trend expected to reduce cereal production in 2024. With weather forecasts indicating continued below-average rainfall in March and April 2024, the likelihood of recovery in cereal crop conditions remains low.
Yields in southern Africa are anticipated to range from average to below-average levels in 2024, raising concerns about food availability and prompting discussions on potential grain imports to mitigate the impending shortages.
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El Niño-induced drought could force southern Africa to import grain
cgtn.com
