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Just Numbers IRIN 'reports' below. So, uh, are they starving or not? | |
SOUTHERN AFRICA:
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Malawi experienced widespread crop failures in the south |
JOHANNESBURG, 25 Oct 2004 (IRIN) - The first report on the
scale of informal cross-border trading in food among countries in Southern
Africa has identified Malawi as the largest recipient of imports.
A joint World Food Programme (WFP) and Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS
NET) report noted that "informal cross-border trade played a significant
role in averting widespread food insecurity in Southern Africa during the major
regional drought of 2002 and 2003".
However, the report said information on informal trade was mainly anecdotal and
its contribution to addressing supply and demand imbalances had thus "not
been adequately quantified in Southern Africa".
To address this information gap, WFP and FEWS NET, along with other partners,
had established a monitoring system for capturing informal cross-border trade.
The system began operating in June 2004 and currently covers 24 borders shared
by six countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, Mozambique,
Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In the initial three months of operation the monitoring mechanism recorded
trades accounting for over 36,000 mt of maize, close to 3,700 mt of rice and
about 6,100 mt of beans.
"The bulk of the trade has been maize exports into Malawi, which have
amounted to 34,000 mt, or 94 percent of the total maize trade captured,"
the report said. "Since July 2004, informal traders have been bringing an
average of 11,000 mt of maize per month into Malawi from her neighbouring
countries. Malawi is facing a major maize deficit estimated at nearly 280,000 mt."
WFP has said it plans to feed about 1.1 million Malawians until March 2005.
Almost all the maize Malawi has imported through informal cross-border trade has
come from Mozambique, as southern Malawi is virtually surrounded by Mozambique
and "is the most affected by the food deficit, and trade links with
northern Mozambique are well-established".
Additionally, "most of northern Mozambique had a good harvest and
[internal] trade linkages with major consumption centres in central and southern
Mozambique are weak" due to poor transport infrastructure.
According to the report, informal trade in maize across the Malawi/Mozambique
border was being conducted with relative ease.
"The process starts from the Mozambican side, where stacks of maize are
brought in bulk to the border ... these stacks are heaped on the Mozambican side
of the border for sale to Malawian traders," the report said. Most of it is
then transported across to Malawi by people on bicycles.
"During the peak of the marketing season for maize, July to September, the
frequency and number of cyclists crossing the border increases. Currently ... it
is estimated that up to 100 cyclists carrying three to four 50 kg bags ferry the
maize across the border every 30 minutes... Once on the Malawi side, the maize
is then consolidated into truckloads for onward shipment to inland urban markets
of Malawi," the report related.
Conversely, very little informal cross-border trade has been recorded between
Zimbabwe and its neighbours.
"Zimbabwe has imposed restrictive import levies for any trader that crosses
its borders with more than a single bag of rice and/or maize, including maize
flour. The Zimbabwe authorities also ensure that only official imports of maize
by [the state monopoly] the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) or its appointed agents
are permitted in Zimbabwe. As such, there is very little incentive for informal
traders to deal in these commodities," the monitoring initiative found.
However, it "is probable that maize and rice may still be finding their way
into Zimbabwe from Mozambique through smuggling, as there are few natural
geographical barriers between the two countries".
Monitoring of informal trade allowed for better decision-making "by
governments, aid agencies and traders about appropriate levels of commercial
imports and food aid", the report noted.
Consequently, more borders are being assessed for inclusion in the monitoring
exercise.