Zimbabwe faces food crisis next year
Vulnerable communities across the country are likely to face a food insecurity crisis in early 2026, with more households projected to slip into critical conditions before a possible improvement from April or May following the main harvest, a report has warned.
In a latest report, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net) said poor households in typical deficit-producing areas — including parts of Matabeleland North and South, Masvingo, Manicaland, Midlands and the far north of Mashonaland provinces — will struggle to access adequate food during the peak lean season between December and March.
The alert underscores mounting pressure on food systems as Zimbabwe moves deeper into the lean season, with flooding, uneven rainfall and high prices converging to squeeze poor households.
With incomes lagging and market dependence rising, conditions are deteriorating fastest in traditionally deficit-producing regions, raising the risk of wider humanitarian needs before the next harvest.
Fews Net said the food insecurity was driven by depleted household food stocks, low grain availability in some markets and weak purchasing power, making it difficult for poor households to afford staple food, particularly maize meal.
“Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes are expected to prevail in most typical surplus-producing areas of Mashonaland provinces during the same period with poor households in these areas expected to meet only their minimal food needs through own-produced stocks or seasonal casual labour engagement at below-normal levels due to low payments,” the US government-backed initiative that provides early warning and analysis of food insecurity globally said.
Fews Net warned that Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes are expected to expand during the December-March period as many households become almost entirely market-dependent, with food consumption gaps likely to peak in February and March.
“Acute food security is expected to improve from April/May 2026 throughout the country driven by a most likely favourable 2026 harvest following the forecast above-average rainy season,” Fews Net said.
“Many households are expected to consume food from their own production, while as market supplies increase, staple-food prices are expected to be at a seasonal low, improving access for non-crop-producing households, especially in urban areas.”
Although rainfall between October and mid-December generally supported land preparation and planting across much of the country, Fews Net noted that rainfall distribution remained uneven. Below-average rains were recorded in parts of Mashonaland Central, northern, East and some areas of Masvingo.
“Water and pasture conditions have improved given sufficient rainfall by early December, planting is ongoing across the country and planted areas are significantly higher than at the same time last year with typical seasonal income-earning activities and household income remaining at below-normal level across many parts of the country,” Fews Net said.
It also reported that flooding had been recorded in parts of Masvingo and Matabeleland and posed a growing risk, particularly to artisanal and small-scale miners who rely on the activity for seasonal income.
“With the ground already wet, there will be more flooding than is typical during the December to March rainy season with floods mainly occurring in the southern areas.
“Artisanal and small-scale mining activities are likely to be affected by flooding in some areas, negatively impacting income from this source, following some fatalities early this rainy season, authorities have warned about the risks of such activities where no proper measures are available,” Fews Net said.
The US-funded initiative further warned that inflation continues to erode household purchasing power, with food and basic commodity prices remaining high compared to last year, despite recent stability in monthly inflation, further limiting access to essential good for poor households. *_-Newsday_*
