Hybrid Maize Varieties Could Come to the Rescue
Under the scorching Zimbabwean sun, cattle seek shade among stunted thorn bushes in the drought-prone district of Zaka where crops wither due to increasing temperatures and changing weather patterns.
Severe lack of rain across southern Africa has hit the country hard, with government officials saying a quarter of the population faces starvation, and many villagers forced to survive on wild fruit.
Maize, the country's traditional staple crop, has suffered a series of poor harvests.
Late rains this year again wrecked the planting season, and the little that is growing has often been destroyed by heat.
It may not help the immediate crisis, but science is providing a glimmer of hope for smallholder maize farmers in Zimbabwe.
