Price will skyrocket in coming months

Maize prices increased by 40 percent on average in Tete, Chimoio, Nampula markets between July and August, and the increase looks set to accelerate at least until February 2020.

“These price increases in typical surplus markets in the central and northern regions reflect below-average maize grain availability due to below-average supply,” the Worldwide Network of Early Warning Systems (Fews Net) explains.Regarding humanitarian assistance, a situation of food stress obtains in parts of Sofala and Manica provinces. The crisis also persists in the semi-arid southern areas, where households face the second consecutive year of drought-related poor agricultural performance, as well as in parts of Cabo Delgado, where conflict continues, and also as a result of tropical cyclone Kenneth, which negatively affected the 2019 growing season.

As to other regions of the country, FewsNet’s latest report indicates minimal food crisis.

“As the result of ongoing humanitarian assistance and above-average second season harvests, stressed outcomes (IPC Phase 2) persist in areas of Sofala and Manica provinces. Crisis (IPC Phase 3) also persist in southern semiarid areas where households faced the second consecutive year of poor harvests due to drought as well as part of Cabo Delgado where conflict continues, and tropical cyclone Kenneth disrupted the 2019 agriculture season. The rest of the country is in Minimal (IPC Phase 1),” the report reads.

“According to the international and national forecasts, the start of the 2019/20 rainy season will most likely be below average, with a potential for a late and erratic onset in central and southern areas. Delays in the start of season will likely result in reduced area planted,” the report’s authors add.Furthermore, “cumulative rainfall for the 2019/20 season is most likely to be average to above average in northern Mozambique; however, southern areas will most likely have below average rainfall,” FewsNet warns. “Between December 2019 and March 2020, there is an increased likelihood of a near average number of cyclone strikes.”