Because of inadequate rainfall and a prolonged dry period, Zimbabwe’s maize output is expected to drop about 50% this year, according to the government, though a scarcity of the staple seems unlikely.

Harvests of grains including corn, also called maize, are expected to decline by around 43 percent in 2022, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said in a post-cabinet statement Wednesday night.

Maize production this year is estimated at 1.55 million tones, compared to 2.7 million tones in 2021, she said.

A maize-flour mash known as “sadza” is a staple in Zimbabwe, eaten with meat or vegetables.

“Despite the decline in production owing to the vagaries of the weather, there is however enough maize in stock,” Mutsvangwa said.

She urged millers and stock-feed manufacturers to import cereal to cover shortfalls of other grains — a tall order in light of the expected shortages due to the war in Ukraine, a major bread basket.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), at least 49 percent of Zimbabwe’s population live in extreme poverty.

As a result of climate change, persistent economic problems, and Covid-19, approximately 5.3 million people are considered “food insecure.”