Zimbabwe's 2024 budget deficit is forecast to be 1.3% of gross domestic product, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said on Thursday, but warned that concerns remained over the impact of a drought on finances. The finance ministry projected 2024 growth at 2% earlier this month, down from 3.5% forecast in November, as southern Africa suffers its worst drought in decades. In his midterm budget review, Ncube told lawmakers that the agriculture sector was now projected to contract by 21.2%, against a contraction of 4.9% in November, due to the drought.