Mozambique expects its cereal production to drop by 5 percent this year to 1.8 million tonnes due to poor rains, leaving some 270,000 families vulnerable, officials said on Wednesday. The maize harvest is expected to be the most affected, falling from 1.4 million tonnes in the 2003/04 agricultural season to about 1.3 million tonnes this season ending in July. About 317,000 hectares out of 43 million hectares of land planted with different crops were lost due to diminished rainfall in the south and central regions of Mozambique.
"Due to this drought there is a significant decrease (in cereal production) compared to the previous season," said Mario Ubisse, head of the Early Warning for Food Security Unit at the agriculture ministry. "The preliminary valuation indicates a global decrease of 5 percent in cereals," he added.