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ZIMBABWE 

Food Security Update 

March 2006

ALERT STATUS: 

NO ALERT 

WATCH 

WARNING 

EMERGENCY

CONTENTS

Summaries and calendar ................ 1 

Cost of living Continues to rise........ 2 

Maize availability remains critical in the 

southern districts............................. 3

Summary and implications 

The cost of living in Zimbabwe continued to rise at an alarming rate. The 

annual rate of inflation scaled new heights to the unprecedented level of 

913.6 percent in March 2006. Between February and March 2006 the 

national average Food Poverty Line for a family of five increased by 14 

percent to Z$10.3 million. At the same time the official March 2006 

minimum monthly wage rate for an industrial worker (proxy for a urban head of household) and a farm worker 

(proxy for a rural head of household) remained at Z$5.5 million and below Z$1 million, respectively. 

National maize availability improved with the start of the green and early dried 2005/6 harvest. In response, 

towards the end of March, in most monitored markets grain prices declined. Availability of maize, sorghum and 

millets was more critical in the southern half of the country, where grain and maize prices remained 

comparatively higher. 

As of March 31, 2006, commercial and food aid imports into Zimbabwe closed about 93 percent of the initial 

national maize deficit, which was estimated at about 1,066,000 MT for the 2005/6 consumption year. 

However, poor in-country maize distribution significantly reduced the potential benefit of this food to poor and 

food insecure households. In addition, although no statistics are available, the prevalence of Zimbabweanproduced maize meal for sale in Mozambique and Zambia indicates that a significant percentage of these 

commercial imports was re-exported. 

Seasonal calendar 

Current hazard summary 

 Shortage and high price of maize in the southern districts of the country. 

 High annual inflation, measured in March 2006 at 913.6 percent, which has further eroded purchasing 

power. 

• Projected maize deficit for 2006/07 consumption year. 

Food security summary 

Commercial and food aid maize imports from South Africa to Zimbabwe continued in February and March 

2006. According to the South African Grain Information Services (SAGIS), 114,292 MT of maize were 

exported to Zimbabwe between February 10 and March 31, 2006, bringing the cumulative official maize 

exports to Zimbabwe to 993,472 MT for the period April 2, 2005 to March 31, 2006. This represents about 93 

percent of the total maize gap estimated at the beginning of the 2005/6 consumption year (Figure 1). 

Nevertheless sub-national maize availability in Zimbabwe was poor throughout the year because transport 

problems and poor management disrupted its distribution within the country. Also, the presence of stocks of 

Zimbabwean maize meal brands in shops in Zambia and Mozambique throughout the consumption year points 

to illegal siphoning of the imported maize to neighboring countries. 

FEWS NET/Zimbabwe 

5 Thornburg Ave FEWS NET is funded by the US Agency for International Development Tel: 263 4 744878 

Mt Pleasant www.fews.net Fax: 263 4 744878 

Harare
ZIMBABWE : FOOD SECURITY UPDATE MARCH 2006 

2

Food aid by humanitarian organizations continued to make an 

important contribution to food that was consumed by rural 

households in March 2006. Over sixty percent of the total rural 

population in 52 of the 59 rural districts in Zimbabwe received 

at least 10kg of maize or an acceptable substitute in March. 

While food assistance to vulnerable households was scheduled 

to stop in April 2006 because of the increased contribution of 

the 2005/06 agricultural season’s harvest to food supplies, 

special programmes like school feeding and therapeutic 

feeding will continue, though at a reduced level. 

Cost of living continues to rise 

The annual rate of inflation for March 2006 reached the 

unprecedented level of 913.6 percent, as measured by the 

Central Statistics Office (CSO), 131.6 percentage points higher 

than in February (782.0 percent) and 113.6 percentage points 

higher than Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe projected peak for 

annual inflation this year. Consequently, the total consumption 

poverty line (TCPL, the level of 

minimum expenditure required to 

purchase the basic food and nonfood items) for a family of five rose 

by over 1,000 percent since March 

2005 to about Z$31 million. Over 

the same period the national Food 

Poverty Line (FPL) increased by 

920 percent to Z$10.3 million

(Figure 2). The TCPL for March 

was lowest in Mashonaland East 

and highest in Bulawayo Province. 

The rise in the cost of living pushed 

more households into poverty. A 

teacher’s salary for March 2006 

could barely cover the FPL and just 

27 percent of the TCPL. The 

situation is worse for low income 

earners such as industrial workers 

and farm workers being paid

minimum wages. 

Figure 1: National level maize availability, 

March 31, 2006

-

200,000.00

400,000.00

600,000.00

800,000.00

1,000,000.00

1,200,000.00

1,400,000.00

1,600,000.00

1,800,000.00

2,000,000.00

1

MT

Remaining Gap

Imports

Production

Source: SAGIS and Ministry of Finance-Zimbabwe 

Figure 2: Annual rate of inflation compared to the minimum wage rate 

of a low-income earner, indexed on the Food Poverty Line 

-

5,000,000

10,000,000

15,000,000

20,000,000

25,000,000

30,000,000

35,000,000

Oct-05 Nov-05 Dec-05 Jan-06 Feb-06 Mar-06

Z$

-

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

%

FPL

TCPL

Annual Inflation

Source: CSO, ZCTU 

The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) monitors a basket for a low income urban household of six, which 

stood at Z$34 million in March, up from Z$28 million in February. The value of the basket in March 2006 was 

1,548 percent higher than it was a year ago, but the minimum industrial monthly wage rate rose about 630 

percent to just Z$5.5 million in the same period. The continued erosion of purchasing power exerted enormous 

pressure on poor urban households, resulting in increased practice of undesirable coping strategies. Despite 

heavy-handed policing by the Municipal Police, illegal vending is on the rise in urban centers, including along 

major streets in both high density and low density residential areas. Street kids who had been taken off the 

streets by Operation Murambatsvina have repopulated the city centers once more. 

Furthermore the water and sanitation conditions of most urban areas continued to cause concern. 

Interruptions to the clean piped water supply are frequent. Sewage pipe bursts are common, and refuse 

collections are irregular. This poses a serious health hazard. 
ZIMBABWE : FOOD SECURITY UPDATE MARCH 2006 

3

Maize availability remains critical in the southern districts 

Maize availability, though improving, remained tight in monitored markets such as Zvishavane, Chiredzi, 

Masvingo and Bulawayo, where maize prices were well above the Z$30,000/kg mark (Figure 3). The 2005/06 

maize production prospects in the farming areas that supply these markets are generally poor. In the first 

week of March, the reported maize grain prices were highest (around Z$68,000/kg) in Bulawayo and lowest 

(Z$28,000/kg) in Zaka and Bindura. Generally, prices in the monitored markets decreased over the month, 

and in the third week of March, Chiredzi market had one of the highest maize prices, Z$58,000/kg and the 

lowest, $20,000/kg, was in Mutare. A rising trend in Ngundu, south of Masvingo town is worrying. Ngundu 

market was already amongst those with the highest prices in the second week, and prices increased even 

more later in the month. 

Prices fell mainly due to improved prospects of the 2005/06 harvest in areas that supply the markets. Since 

the maize crop in the fields was almost ready for harvesting, and farmers are certain of their production, they 

released onto the markets stocks from the gardens and last season’s harvest. The Mutare market showed the 

most dramatic drop in maize prices during the month; the maize price at the end of the month was nearly half 

of what it was at the beginning of the month. Here not only did maize meal supply improve but relative 

demand for the grain dropped significantly as urban households turn to the available maize meal and their 

limited 2005/06 agricultural season’s harvests from urban farming. 

Figure 3: Maize Grain Prices in Selected Markets: March 2006 

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

Harare

Bindura urban

Marondera urban

Murombedzi rural

Mt Darwin rural

Murehwa rural

Chinhoyi urban

Chiredzi urban

Zvishavane urban

Masvingo urban

Zaka rural

Ngundu rural

Bulawayo urban

Mutare urban

Markets

Z$/kg

3-Mar 10-Mar 17-Mar 24-Mar 31-Mar

Source: WFP