UNFAO warns of rising food insecurity in southern Africa
The FAO says poor rains and hot temperatures triggered water stress and adversely affected crop development in several areas of southern Africa.
PRETORIA - The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) warns that food insecurity is set to rise again in southern Africa as dry weather conditions and high temperatures reduce harvests.
Malawi and Zimbabwe will be the hardest hit.
The FAO says poor rains and hot temperatures triggered water stress and adversely affected crop development in several areas of southern Africa.
While cereal stocks in the region are ample, the spell of dry weather and erratic rains earlier in the season signals multiple risks to agricultural yields and may aggravate the impact of the fall armyworm pest.
The number of food-insecure people in the sub-region is likely to rise over the course of 2018, partly reversing last year's sharp decline.
