Southern Africa Regional Food Security Update, February 18, 2010

Countries updated and Highlights

Lesotho

- According to Lesotho Meteorological Services, as of the first dekad of February 2010, cumulative rainfall was above normal in most areas of the country.

- Estimated planned imports for the 2009/10 season amount to 147,000 MT of which 90,000 MT had already been delivered by mid-January.

Madagascar

- An interventions Impact Assessment Mission will be conducted in March in the drought prone southern districts by the "Food Security and Livelihood" Cluster, led by WFP and FAO, with NGO partners.

- On 16 February, A TROPICAL CYCLONE "GELANE" was formed in the Indian Ocean and is located 688 miles from the NE coast of Madagascar.

Malawi

- The prolonged dry spells have impacted about one-third of farming households.

- The current maize price is below the Government's set maximum selling price of maize, K52.00 ($0.36) per kg.

- While food availability is expected to remain satisfactory countrywide total production from the 2010 harvest is likely to be reduced in the districts of Mwanza, Neno, Chikwawa Nsanje, Mulanje, Phalombe, Balaka, and Ntcheu.

Mozambique

- The most critical areas with high and medium risk of food insecurity are districts of western part of Maputo and Gaza, inland of Inhambane, north Sofala and South Tete province.

- Hydrometric levels in Maputo basin are reducing gradually but still 55 centimetres above alert level.

Namibia

- All the river levels in the north are going down except Zambezi.

- The Government is conducting the 1st Round Crop assessments in the north of the country.

Swaziland

- The country's maize crop is mainly at late vegetative to grain-filling stages, and is mainly in a good state. The bulk of the crop is in the late vegetative stage as a result of late planting in most parts of the country.

- Imports of white maize from RSA have been very low this season, a sign that the local harvest was better than previous years.

Zimbabwe

- The prolonged dry spell has ended in most parts of the country as rains started to improve though scattered activity is expected in the Northern provinces while activity should decline becoming isolated in the southern provinces from the 3rd to the 6th of February.

- The 1st Round Crop & Livestock Assessment has begun. It seeks to assess the area planted and crop and livestock condition. Results are expected in the third week of March.