Tanzania suffers $69 million crop loss from El Nino floods

Tanzania lost 240,709 metric tons of crops valued at $69 million due to floods caused by El Nino-driven rains in the 2023-2024 season, according to a World Food Program (WFP) report.

The report said that an additional 90,000 livestock, valued at 62 million dollars, were lost across 14 affected districts. The joint assessment, conducted by the WFP, the Tanzanian government and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, evaluated El Nino's impact on agricultural production and livelihoods, reports Xinhua news agency.

With the crop sector contributing about 25 per cent of Tanzania's gross domestic product and the livestock sector around 7 per cent, these losses represent a substantial setback to the country's agricultural sector and economy.

The report also said that widespread flooding impacted more than 51,000 households and displaced over 200,000 people.