According to the FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) special report to Mozambique, the estimated 2019 cereal production is around 2.8 million MT, about 16 percent lower than last year; however, above the five-year average. The decrease in production is mostly from a sharp decline in maize production, estimated at 2.1 million MT, and an estimated 233,000 MT decrease in rice production, due to the cyclone-induced crop losses. Production of sorghum and millet is estimated at above-average levels, on account of the crops’ greater resilience to water stress and given that they are normally planted in higher altitude areas that are less affected by flooding. According to the CFSAM report, the central provinces, which are the main cereal-producing areas, were the worst affected by the cyclones. A smaller area of crops was also lost in the southern provinces of Gaza and Maputo, due to poor rainfall.
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