Dr Made
From George Maponga in CHIREDZI
SUGAR producer Tongaat Hulett last Thursday handed over 1 300 tonnes of maize, produced under the winter maize project at its estates in the Lowveld to Government, boosting the food security situation in Masvingo province where over 700 000 people are in urgent need of food aid.
The handover of the maize followed the green light from President Mugabe for the Masvingo provincial leadership to start distributing the grain to families in the province.
The Masvingo provincial leadership wanted the maize to be handed over to President Mugabe for equal distribution to all the country’s provinces on the grounds that it was a national project.
However, the President ordered that all the maize be distributed to ease crippling food shortages across Masvingo province.
Speaking after receiving the maize on behalf of President Mugabe at Triangle Estates yesterday, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made said the maize was going to be equally shared among all the 26 constituencies in Masvingo province.
Dr Made said each constituency was going to receive 44 tonnes and urged the provincial drought relief committee to expedite its distribution to ease severe food shortages across Masvingo province.
“This maize should be speedily distributed to families who are in need of food without delay and my challenge to the provincial leadership is to make sure that people get this maize without further delay,’’ he said.
“Government is bringing in more food to ease the prevailing food shortages so please my appeal to the leadership that will be responsible for distributing this maize is that do not hold on to it, give it to the people. Priority should be given to those families who were not getting any allocations from the Social Welfare Department.’’
Dr Made said part of the maize was going to be kept at Tongaat Hulett for distribution by the provincial leadership to vulnerable members of the society such as orphans and the physically challenged among others.
Dr Made said Government was against the charging of maize grain transportation fee to poor villagers.
Zanu-PF Secretary for Production Cde Josaya Hungwe thanked Tongaat Hulett for making good on its promise to grow winter maize following a request from Government.
Cde Hungwe said the move by Tongaat Hulett could be replicated by other companies in Zimbabwe and help the nation achieve food security at household level in line with its Zim-Asset goals.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Senator Shuvai Mahofa said it was refreshing that a Masvingo-based company, Tongaat Hulett, had managed to intervene to mitigate the effects of drought in Masvingo. Tongaat Hulett planted short season variety winter maize on 329 hectares in May last year and the crop was harvested in October of the same year.
The firm employed 200 contract workers and assigned some of the experts to look after the crop that was irrigated using power generated from the company’s sugar mill at Triangle.