Zimbabwe's food security remains unstable amid rising prices and declining purchasing power

Zimbabwe's food security remained unstable in March 2026 due to escalating food prices and reduced household purchasing power, according to a recent monitoring report. Households in various parts of the country are struggling after exhausting their food stocks and are now dependent on markets where prices are high. The World Food Programme Food Security and Markets Monitoring Report indicated fragile and uneven conditions across 19 monitored districts, with many households finding it difficult to meet basic food needs as their own-produced stocks dwindled. Although the 2025-26 agricultural season saw generally favorable rainfall, its distribution was uneven, leading to excess moisture, waterlogging, and crop damage risks in some southeastern districts. The report highlighted that as food reserves from previous harvests decreased, reliance on markets increased, making affordability a major challenge. A sharp rise in fuel prices in March, with diesel and petrol increasing by 35% and 39% respectively after two adjustments, further exacerbated food access issues by raising transport, production, and food costs in both rural and urban markets. These fuel price increases were attributed to global oil market disruptions and domestic structural pressures, including import dependence, taxation, and rising supply chain costs. Rural markets were particularly affected, experiencing significant increases in staple food prices. Sugar beans saw a 31.6% month-on-month and 27.9% year-on-year