ZIMBABWE’S food security remained unstable in March 2026 as escalating food prices and declining household purchasing power intensified vulnerability in both rural and urban areas, a recent monitoring report has shown.
Households across several parts of the country are under severe pressure after exhausting their food stocks and being forced to rely on markets where prices remain high.
According to the World Food Programme Food Security and Markets Monitoring Report, conditions across 19 monitored districts — including Kariba, Beitbridge, Umguza, Bubi and Mwenezi — were fragile and uneven, with many households struggling to meet basic food needs as own-produced stocks declined, increasing reliance on markets.
The report noted that although the 2025-26 agricultural season experienced generally favourable rainfall, distribution was uneven. Excess moisture in parts of the south-eastern districts, particularly Chiredzi, Mwenezi and Beitbridge, resulted in waterlogging and heightened risks of crop damage.
“Zimbabwe’s food security situation in March 2026 remained fragile, shaped by uneven rainfall, rising basic commodity costs and weak household purchasing power,” the report read.
“Although generally favourable rains supported agricultural activity in many areas, localised excess moisture caused waterlogging and heightened crop damage risks in parts of Masvingo and Matabeleland.”
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It further highlighted that as food reserves from previous harvests declined, households increasingly relied on markets for survival, with affordability becoming the main challenge.
The report identified a sharp rise in fuel prices during March as a major factor worsening access to food. Diesel and petrol prices rose by 35% and 39%, respectively after two adjustments within the month.
“As own-produced food stocks declined, households relied more heavily on markets, where affordability became the main constraint.
“Two fuel price increases during the month (diesel +35%; petrol +39%) further raised transport, production and food costs in both rural and urban markets,” the report read.
The increases were attributed to global oil market disruptions and domestic structural pressures, including import dependence, taxation and rising supply chain
costs.
“Two separate price adjustments in March driven by global oil market disruptions and domestic structural pressures (taxation, import dependence, rising supply chain costs).
“Immediate effects: higher transport fares, rising production costs, upward pressure on all commodity prices,” the report read.
Data from the report shows that rural markets were more severely affected than urban centres, with sharp increases in staple food prices.
Sugar beans recorded the most dramatic increase, climbing 31,6% month-on-month and 27,9% year-on-year to reach US$2,75/kg, the highest level in the monitoring period.
The price for maize meal, a staple food, has increased by 12,9% in rural markets, while vegetable oil rose by 18,1% and rice by 14,3% over the same period.
Urban markets also experienced moderate price increases compared to rural markets.
“Notably, maize meal was 15,3% cheaper year-on-year, reflecting better urban supply chains. Sugar beans (+12% month-on-month) and vegetable oil (+14,3% month-on-month) drove the March uptick,” the report said.