Zimbabwe plans $500m cash and grain reserve to offset El Niño - TimesLIVE

Zimbabwe plans to put together a $500m (R8.29bn) cash and grain reserve to limit the impact of an expected El Niño-induced drought on national food security, finance minister Mthuli Ncube said on Wednesday.

The government would make provision for $250m (R4.14bn) cash and an equal amount for grain purchases in the 2027 national budget, due to be presented next month, Ncube and ministry officials said during a briefing.

The southern African country has projected a 1.6-million-tonne maize harvest in the 2027 crop season, nearly 30% lower than in 2026, mainly due to the forecast drought

Zimbabwe requires about 2.2-million tonnes of maize annually, including roughly 400,000 tonnes for livestock feed.

In 2024, Zimbabwe declared a national disaster after an El Niño-induced drought left millions of people needing food aid.

El Niño is the warm phase of the naturally occurring El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle, a climate pattern that influences weather around the world. It tends to cause higher global temperatures and disrupt rainfall patterns across large regions — meaning drought in some areas and heavy rain in others.

Ncube said the government had purchased about 200,000 tonnes of maize from local farmers for strategic grain reserves.

Zimbabwe has struggled to feed itself since 2000, when former president Robert Mugabe led land seizures that disrupted production, while climate change has worsened the country’s ability to grow enough food.

The government has also lowered Zimbabwe’s 2027 economic growth forecast to 3.5%, from the initial 5%, citing the impact of El Niño on the key agriculture sector.