Zimbabwe Key Message Update May – September 2026: Food access improves with harvests, but grain prices remain high in deficit areas 

Analysis in English on Zimbabwe about Agriculture, Food and Nutrition and Drought; published on 30 May 2026 by FEWS NET

Source: Zimbabwe Key Message Update May – September 2026: Food access improves with harvests, but grain prices remain high in deficit areas – Zimbabwe | ReliefWeb

Key Messages

• Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes are expected through September 2026 in deficit-producing areas as the April to June main crop harvest progresses. Households in these areas are accessing food through their own-produced crop harvest, despite localized impacts to production from excessive rainfall and prolonged dry spells during the November 2025 to March 2026 rainy season. However, households still have limited cash incomes – in part due to below-average access to casual labor, livestock sales, wild produce such as Mopane worms, remittances and other sources – preventing them from meeting essential non-food needs.
• Minimal (IPC Phase 1) outcomes are ongoing and expected through September in typical surplus-producing areas in the Mashonaland Provinces and other parts of the country. Households can meet their food and non-food needs, despite localized impacts to production from excessive rainfall and dry spells. Households will have access to own-produced stocks and sufficient income from food and cash crop sales, casual labor, self-employment, and other typical sources.
• Increased availability of staple cereals at household and market levels is resulting in seasonal price declines in surplus-producing areas. Maize grain prices are between 0.23-0.29 USD/kilogram (kg) (or 4-5 USD/17.5 kg bucket), about 40-50 percent lower than prices during the January to March 2026 peak lean season. However, household and open market staple cereal stocks are limited in some deficit-producing southern and eastern areas where crop production was low. The movement of staple cereal from surplus- to deficit-producing areas is still low across most areas, as most farmers with surpluses have not yet finished harvesting and are not yet ready to sell their grain. As a result, staple cereal prices in deficit-producing areas remain elevated, around 0.46 USD/kg (8 USD/bucket). The demand for maize meal in these areas also remains unseasonally high.
• Above-average water availability following average to above-average cumulative rainfall received during the November 2025 to March 2026 rainy season is supporting winter crop production and seasonal livelihood activities such as casual labor, horticultural production, brick making, and construction labor. Other seasonal activities include the harvesting and sale of wild products such as thatch grass and wild fruits, crafts, and petty trade.
• Livestock conditions, prices, and income are expected to be above average through the outlook period, supported by fair to good pasture conditions and above-average hay, silage, and stover stocks. However, the prevalence of livestock diseases, such as January disease, lumpy skin disease, foot and mouth disease, and others in some areas will affect livestock conditions, reducing potential income from livestock sales.
• Fuel price and transport fare increases driven by the conflict in the Middle East continue to negatively impact poor households’ livelihoods, disposable income, and access to markets. Despite relative stability in the prices of some basic food and non-food commodities, increases in production and freight costs and some commodity supply disruptions will likely push price increases for some commodities in the near term. According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT), the May local ZiG (0.5 percent) and USD (0.3 percent) monthly inflation decreased by 0.6 and 0.8 percent, respectively, from April.

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