SOUTHERN AFRICA: Food gap still large, FEWS NET

JOHANNESBURG, 27 December 2002 (IRIN) - Large cereal gaps in Southern Africa will be difficult to fill before the end of the current marketing year, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) warned in its latest report. "Of particular concern are Zambia and Zimbabwe. Zambia has made the least progress towards filling its cereal gap, having received less than 10 percent of its import requirements. Food aid imports to Zambia have been slowed by the government ban on GM [genetically modified] maize. According to available data, Zambia currently faces a cereal gap of 617,000 mt," FEWS NET said. Current commercial and food aid import plans, even if they were they fully met, would fill only 63 percent of this remaining gap, although it was unlikely that these plans would be fully achieved based on past import performance, the report added. In Zimbabwe the situation was worse. "With a 907,000 mt cereal gap remaining, Zimbabwe faces the greatest challenge. Current food aid import plans, if realised, would reduce the gap to 500,000 mt. Although government plans to import an additional 336,000 mt, there is concern about government capacity to import this quantity due to foreign exchange and other constraints. Even if all planned imports are received, which is considered unlikely by many analysts, Zimbabwe would still face a sizeable cereal gap of 163,000 mt," FEWS NET warned. Meanwhile, the situation in the rest of the countries affected by the regional food crisis appeared to be better, FEWS NET said. "Although reported imports to Malawi have so far filled 54 percent of estimated needs, there remains a sizeable gap of 262,000 mt. Current import plans, if achieved, would reduce the gap by only 44 percent. "Preliminary information from Mozambique indicates they have already received more than enough imports to fill their cereal gap, with additional commercial imports still expected. Lesotho has imported more than two-thirds of its requirements, and Swaziland nearly 59 percent," FEWS NET noted.