United Nations Radio

The UN food agency (FAO) has warned that Zimbabwe's maize harvest will likely suffer from severe dry weather, making the country's precarious food situation even more critical.

The agency reports that several provinces have not had rain since February, which will affect maize yields that will be harvested in May and June.

In addition to the dry weather, farmers have faced shortages of seed, fuel, and especially fertilizer this season. They also suffered flood-related damages in several districts resulting from heavy rains in December and January.

Zimbabwe already faces severe food shortages, which are made worse by the country's inflation rate of over 100,000 per cent in December. FAO estimates that a third of the population is at risk of hunger.

Reporting for UN Radio, I'm Bissera Kostova.

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