THE late rains received across the country during the past two months have slightly improved the national maize output by at least 200 000 tonnes, an agricultural expert has said.
BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU
Commercial Farmers’ Union past president Charles Taffs said the country’s grain output would increase by a further 200 000 tonnes, but insisted Zimbabwe would still need massive imports to cover shortages.
“The light rains during that period may have added another 200 000 tonnes on the national maize output that is now expected to reach about 500 000 tonnes this year,” he said last week.
“The estimated national harvest now would be only a third of national requirements of about 1,6 million tonnes annually.”
Zimbabwe, like the rest of Sadc region, was hit by an El-Nino-induced drought that severely affected crop yields, particularly maize.
Agriculture minister Joseph Made was unreachable for comment to provide the exact maize production estimates from the ministry following government’s second round national survey.
Government has, however, admitted that the country faces a maize deficit and was ready to import grain with conservative estimates indicating at least 2,2 million people will need food assistance this season.
Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa, in his 2016 National Budget statement, said government had set aside funds for grain imports after declaring the situation a state of disaster.
The government initiative was being supplemented by international donor agencies who were separately mobilising food aid to stave off hunger.
Meanwhile, Heal Zimbabwe Trust (HZT) has warned that many families would starve if grain was not distributed to the worst hit regions soon, as the crop harvest outlook remained bleak despite the positives brought about by the late rains.
“In our visits across the provinces, we noticed that the late rains did not change the harvest prospects that much. It only helped in the replenishing of the rivers and growth of pastures for domestic animals,” HZT spokesperson Rawlings Magede said.
“The situation remains dire in the arid Masvingo region, areas around Murewa and Mutoko in Mashonaland East province and the Matabeleland provinces.”