Johannesburg - The unprecedented drought that has devastated large parts of South Africa has put pressure on regional economies with some countries in southern Africa already battling to source food for citizens.
With South Africa’s crop produce dwindling, countries such as Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe have been forced to import maize from overseas countries at a higher cost as a result of plummeting currencies.
Experts have already warned the drought would lead to runaway food inflation in the region as regional economies crumble under the effects of El Niño that has occasioned dry weather conditions and heightened fears and concerns over a prolonged regional drought.
GrainSA economist Wandile Sihlobo this week told Business Report the full impact of the drought would be felt in months to come.
“The planting season has just ended and we still have to wait for reports on how the season has gone.”
South Africa has one of the most sophisticated agricultural industries in Africa, with local farmers producing 42 percent of the total crop output in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and supplying the region with about 70 percent of its maize.
“The current drought situation not only presents a white maize shortage to South Africans, but also affects other SADC member states,” said Sihlobo.
On Friday, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana said the drought had hit both commercial and emerging farmers throughout the country and would have a severe impact on food security in the region.
“In some places, no planting was done while some will have very low yields.”
The impact of the drought is also felt more severely in the local markets where currencies have fallen sharply against the US dollar which most countries would have to use to import from overseas markets.
In the past few months, South Africa has imported maize from Zambia to augment its supplies.
But Zambia, whose kwacha currency has fallen by as much as 45 percent against the dollar, has since announced it was planning to import maize from South America as the drought had slashed its output in the 2014/15 season by 20 percent to 2.6 million tons.
The SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) said it was concerned about the effects of the droughts on farmers, jobs in the sector and the ripple effect this will have on the economy.
Sacci chief executive Alan Mukoki said the drought would most likely affect consumers as maize was a staple for most South African households.
SUNDAY WEEKEND ARGUS