05
Jun
WANDILE SIHLOBO Maize is essential for Southern Africa’s food security. Its widespread production across this region is somewhat of a barometer of the status of the agricultural output. The past 2023-24 maize production season was challenging following a mid-summer drought that led to poor harvest across the region. Zambia lost half of its maize crop, Zimbabwe lost nearly two-thirds of its maize, and other countries such as Malawi and Lesotho experienced significant losses. South Africa was a slight exception because the impact was less severe than in the region. The country’s maize harvest fell by 23% to 12.7 million tonnes.…