Mozambique’s grain production down by 5 percent: minister

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Mozambique’s grain production down by 5 percent: minister

9:25 CAT | 02 Jun 2016

In File Club of Mozambique

Mozambique’s grain production fell 4.8 percent to 2.39 million tonnes last year from 2.51 million tonnes the previous year, the minister of agriculture said on Thursday, blaming a severe drought.

The drought has hit much of the southern African region including the maize belt in South Africa, the continent’s most advanced economy and the top producer of the staple grain.

Jose Pacheco, the agriculture minister, did not give a breakdown of the grains affected by the drought. He urged farmers to build irrigation facilities for their crops, the state news agency said.

Mozambique faces an imminent sovereign debt default.

In South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe, last year’s poor rains have been followed by an El Nino-driven drought that has delayed planting and stunted crops.

An estimated 31.6 million people across the region are struggling to feed themselves, the Red Cross has said.

Source: Reuters