According to the report of the Global Agricultural Information Network published by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), due to the arid conditions, Zimbabwe's corn crop in 2019-2020 is projected to decrease by 54% from the previous year to 776,635 tons.

As a result, according to USDA estimates, Zimbabwe will have to import about 1 million tons of corn in 2019-2020 in order to meet domestic demand and maintain a mandatory strategic grain reserve of 500,000 tons.

“The countries that can supply Zimbabwean corn include Tanzania, Mexico, and a limited amount from South Africa. Zimbabwe's Genetic Engineered (GE) corn policy allows imports if it is ground into flour under government control. The cultivation of GE corn in the country is still prohibited, ”the USDA said.

In 2018-2019, Zimbabwe produced 1.7 million tons of corn, which is 21% less than the previous year when a 20-year maximum of 2.2 million tons was reached. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Zimbabwe in 2018- In 2019, it imported about 100,000 tons of corn.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture noted that in addition to climate concerns, high prices and a lack of cash have limited raw material purchases from most Zimbabwean farmers.