Zimbabwe shores up maize stocks with imports to stave off El Nino

Zimbabwe accounted for almost half of South Africa’s maize exports in the week ended October 9, highlighting the country’s reliance on regional grain supplies as the government steps up stockpiling ahead of a potentially severe El Niño-induced drought.

Data from the South African Grain Information Service (SAGIS) show that Zimbabwe imported 17,178 tonnes of the 34,472 tonnes of maize exported by South Africa during the week ending October 9, representing about 49.8% of the total.

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