Browse Data and Analysis

This is a regional report on West Africa that primarily covers Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Mali, but also provides brief overviews in certain sections for Niger, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania.

Zimbabwe’s production of its staple crop, corn, is expected to drop by almost 60 percent in marketing year 2024/25 due to extreme drought conditions associated with the El Niño weather phenomenon.

Cane production in Zimbabwe is forecast to increase in MY 2024/25, as major dams have sufficient volumes to supply irrigation water to cane-producing regions. Production will also be supported by carry-over cane due to the late start to the MY 2023/24 harvests after a contractual dispute between growers and millers.

Zimbabwe’s corn crop for marketing year 2023/24 is estimated at 1.5 million metric tons. This represents an increase of five percent from the previous marketing year’s crop, mainly due to a normal rainfall season in the northern parts of the country.

Post forecasts Zimbabwe’s sugar cane production will increase by 1 percent to 3.5 million metric tons (MT) in marketing year (MY) 2023/24 based on a return to normal weather conditions, the availability of sufficient irrigation water, and an increase in planted area.

Zimbabwe’s corn crop for marketing year (MY) 2022/23 is estimated at 1.6 million metric tons (MMT), representing a drop of 43 percent from the bumper crop of 2.7 MMT produced in MY 2021/22. Many factors contributed to the drop in production including sub-optimal weather conditions, high input costs and macro-economic challenges.

On May 5, 2022, trade and finance ministers from East African Community (EAC) member countries agreed to raise minimum common external tariffs from 25 to 35 percent on several agricultural products.

Post forecasts that sugar cane production in Zimbabwe will increase by 4 percent to 3.7 million metric tons (MT) in the 2022/23 marketing year (MY), based on normal weather conditions, availability of sufficient irrigation water, and an increase in area planted.

Rice production in Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Mali is forecast at 8.02 million metric tons (MMT) in MY 2022/23 on average weather, improved irrigation, and enhanced stability in production areas. The 15 percent jump from MY 2021/22 follows a growing season that was plagued by poor weather, militant activity and instability in Mali, and irrigation issues and pest prevalence in Senegal.

This is the first Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) Country Report for Zimbabwe. The report includes an assessment of laws and import requirements for food and agricultural products.

Zimbabwe’s corn crop for the 2021/22 marketing year (MY) is estimated at 2.7 million tons, an increase of almost 200 percent from the 907,628 tons of corn produced in the 2020/21 MY.

Marketing year (MY) 2021/22 area harvested for rice in Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Mali is expected to increase about 9 percent to 3.35 million HA as movement restrictions are eased in Guinea, planted area rebounds from flooding, and financing and input access for farmers increases.