A total of 865,595 hectares of various crops were affected by "climatic phenomena", in particular drought, floods and pests, which hit parts of the country in the current agricultural season, leaving just over a million producers in need of "short and medium-term" support.

The figures are contained in a preliminary assessment by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADER), presented last week during an intersectoral meeting to assess the 2023-24 rainy and cyclone season.

According to the report, the affected area represents 18% of the total sown, where corn, which is one of the main crops of national production, is pointed out as being the most damaged.

"The southern and central regions have been severely affected by the drought and preliminary data indicates that crop yields, especially maize, have been affected," reveals the balance sheet, quoted by the Terra Magazine.

The report shows that "the drought affected around 596,230 ha of various crops, representing 12.3% of the total area sown," with the provinces of Tete, Manica, Sofala, Gaza and Maputo having the greatest impact.

As far as flooding is concerned, the balance sheet shows that 43,822 hectares of crops were affected, which corresponds to around 1% of the total area sown, while pests, in particular the corn funnel caterpillar, the peanut curling caterpillar, the elegant grasshopper and the field mouse, damaged around 5% of the total area sown.