Lesotho Flour Mills Grapples with Surging Maize Prices as Drought Grips Southern Africa

Lesotho Flour Mills is facing soaring maize prices as a severe drought ravages Southern Africa, threatening food security across the region. The El Nino-induced drought has led to sharply reduced maize harvests in Eswatini and other major maize-producing countries like South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In Eswatini, over 280,000 people are already facing acute food insecurity, a number expected to rise further due to the diminished maize crop. The country is projecting a maize production 15% below the previous 5-year average, resulting in a 55,000-tonne shortfall to meet its annual demand of 140,000 metric tonnes.

The reduced grain harvests across Southern Africa are expected to drive maize prices even higher, exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis and food insecurity in the region. Several countries, including Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, have declared the drought a national disaster and are seeking international humanitarian assistance.

Why this matters:The drought's impact on maize production and food security in Southern Africa highlights the region's vulnerability to climate shocks. The looming food crisis threatens to push millions more into hunger and poverty, requiring urgent action from governments and aid organizations.

While Lesotho Flour Mills has stated it is responding to the crisis, specific details about the company's response and the impact on its operations were not provided. The full extent of the drought's toll on the region's food supply and economy remains to be seen as the situation continues to unfold.

Key Takeaways

• Severe drought in Southern Africa threatens food security, especially maize supply.
• Eswatini faces 55,000-tonne maize shortfall, with 280,000 people facing acute food insecurity.
• Reduced grain harvests across the region expected to drive up maize prices.
• Several countries declare drought a national disaster, seeking humanitarian assistance.
• Lesotho Flour Mills impacted by soaring maize prices, but details of response unclear.