Agrometeorological and other reports from the early warning units providing estimates of output, especially in the small-scale farming areas, are, therefore, vital in planning for national and regional food availability. On a brighter note, Figure 4 indicates that, although still influenced by the amount of rainfall, sorghum yields appear to have trended upward over the past two decades. Two implications are worth noting. The first is that improved varieties appear to be having a beneficial effect, justifying the research efforts to develop new strains. The second is that farmers in semiarid areas may now have access to a crop that will provide greater food security, especially in years when rainfall falls below the long-term average.
Several implications emerge from the foregoing, admittedly very simple, analysis.
The first is that, with population pressures preventing small-scale farmers from being able to practice rotational agriculture, the structure and fertility of soils are becoming progressively degraded. This is amplified by the growing number of livestock. Third, coping strategies at the household level are not well documented or understood, so considerable research is necessary to develop measures to buttress food security at the household level, not just in Zimbabwe but in the entire SADC region. Fourth, at the national and regional levels, this apparently increasing variability is occurring at the same time, as many countries are moving toward more open economies. So the capacity of SADC's member states to use public resources to maintain reserves or to support the real incomes of small farmers is diminishing.