Published: 7 hours ago

Zimbabwe's cereal output for the 2024/25 agricultural season fell short of earlier projections but remains strong enough to sustain a modest grain surplus through mid-2026, according to the latest data from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT).

Presenting the country's first-ever Post-Harvest Survey, ZIMSTAT's Manager for Agriculture and Environment Statistics, Mr. Nelson Mupfugami, said total cereal production reached 2.24 million tonnes, down from the 2.93 million tonnes projected in April's Crop, Livestock and Fisheries Assessment 2 (CLAFA-2).

"The survey provides a comprehensive picture of what was actually harvested and kept in stock," said Mupfugami. "It enables policymakers to base decisions on verified production, not estimates."

Of the total, maize accounted for 1.82 million tonnes, followed by sorghum (288,344 tonnes), pearl millet (111,399 tonnes) and finger millet (23,376 tonnes).

For maize-the country's staple-the figures indicate a 23 percent drop from earlier projections of 2.29 million tonnes. ZIMSTAT attributed the shortfall to challenges faced before harvest, including pest outbreaks and erratic rainfall.

Despite the decline, maize stocks remain substantial. As of early September, 1.06 million tonnes, or 58.5 percent, of all maize produced were still in storage. About 279,000 tonnes had been consumed and 398,900 tonnes sold.

"We are observing a situation where household retention for consumption has increased, reflecting caution among farmers after a difficult climatic year," Mupfugami noted.

The survey also reinforced the dominance of Zimbabwe's communal farmers, who produced 794,000 tonnes of maize-44 percent of total output-well ahead of other sectors. A1 farmers contributed 437,000 tonnes, while A2 commercial farmers delivered 331,000 tonnes.

The findings will inform the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development's food-security forecasts for the 2025/26 consumption year.

At the current national food consumption rate of 7.5 kilograms per person per month, Zimbabwe is expected to require 1.39 million tonnes for human consumption and 400,000 tonnes for livestock feed. This leaves an estimated grain surplus of 456,900 tonnes by May 2026.

"This outlook provides a cushion for national cereal requirements, assuming stable post-harvest management and limited additional losses," said Mupfugami.
- The Herald