MOZAMBIQUE: Erratic rainfall threatens upcoming harvest

JOHANNESBURG, 1 March 2004 (IRIN) - Erratic rainfall in Mozambique is likely to affect the country's current cropping season, the latest monthly report of the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) has warned. Despite increased rains in January, the cumulative rainfall across the country was still below normal. "Heavy rains in late January mask very poor rains during the most important part of the growing season, from October to December, in the far south," the report noted. January's heavy downpours, "rather than bringing much needed relief, had caused some crop damage to lowland planting along the rivers," said FEWSNET. "This inconsistent rainfall, with extended dry periods and, more recently, the flash flooding, has increased the likelihood of a poor harvest in many areas." In November last year it was estimated that close to 700,000 people will need food aid until the March/April 2004 harvest. The report noted that the outlook for the upcoming harvest was mixed. In Mozambique's central region, the late onset of rains had forced farmers to delay planting, but the rains in January had enabled crops to recover and allowed a new planting. Sufficient rains in March were critical to adequate production. Households in the central cotton-producing zones were also focusing mainly on maize production to secure household food availability, while semi-arid zone farmers were planting drought-tolerant and short-cycle crops. In the southern region, a drastic reduction in crop yields occurred due to drought and high temperatures, leading to a maize failure and the scarcity of other staple crops. FEWSNET highlighted that with maize stocks running out in southern Malawi, a growing number of traders from the neighbouring country were entering Morrumbala and Milange districts in northwest Zambezia Province to buy white maize. Mozambicans were paying 60,000 meticais (US $2.6) per 20 kg tin of white maize, while Malawian traders were paying 70,000 mts for the same quantity. The Vulnerability Assessment Committee in Mozambique, a multisectoral working group, would assess the impact of this year's crop production on household food security and nutrition in Mozambican rural communities, said the report, in order to make recommendations on emergency assistance. The assessment, from 8 to 26 March, is expected to focus on districts experiencing a third year of drought, with an aim of understanding the compounded effects of prolonged drought exacerbated by the effects of HIV/AIDS.