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December 21, 2001
Zimbabwe's corn production for 2001/02 is estimated at 1.3 million tons, down 9 percent from last year's poor crop and the smallest output since 1994/95, when an El Nino-related drought had a serious impact on yields. Planted area for 2001/02 is estimated at 1.2 million hectares, down 2 percent from last year due to reductions in the large-scale commercial sector, which historically accounts for about 6 percent of Zimbabwe's total corn area and 25 to 30 percent of total production. Continued political instability and land-ownership issues have prevented many commercial farmers from planting their 2001/02 summer crops. Corn area in the commercial sector is expected to drop by at least 30 percent this year (down from 74,000 hectares in 2000/01) with some sources forecasting an area reduction of more than 60 percent. Similar area reductions are forecast for Zimbabwe's 2001/02 soybean and tobacco crops and the 2002/03 wheat crop, all of which are grown primarily on large-scale commercial farms.
In the communal and small-scale commercial farming sectors, planted area for the 2001/02 corn crop is expected to be similar to last year at about 1.15 million hectares. Seed sales have been higher than last year, and the weather has been mostly favorable for planting. However, fertilizer prices have more than doubled in the past year and farmers may be unable to afford to use the same level of fertilizer this season. Since 1995, corn yields in the communal and small-scale sectors have ranged from 0.9 to 2.0 tons per hectare, significantly lower than the yields in the large-scale sector, which normally exceed 5.0 tons per hectare.
Current Weather - Wet and Warm
Planting is well underway for the 2001/02 corn crop, which will be harvested in May/June 2002. Most of Zimbabwe's grain (corn, wheat, sorghum, millet) is produced in the northern part of the country where the best climate and soils are located. [Crop Map] The start of the 2001/02 rainy season was delayed by 2 to 4 weeks in this area, but near-normal rainfall in November and early-December provided favorable soil moisture for germination. Temperatures have averaged normal to slightly-above normal since September, encouraging early germination and rapid growth. In central and southern Zimbabwe, above-normal rainfall and moderate temperatures benefited pasture conditions and increased irrigation supplies for cotton and sugarcane. However, lowland flooding could become a problem if the heavy rain continues through December.
For more information, contact Paulette Sandene with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division at (202)690-0133.
