Drought-prone regions face starvation
http://www.theindependent.co.zw
Thursday, 04 November 2010 19:16
RURAL households in Masvingo, Matabeleland provinces and the extreme western
and northern areas are now running out of cereals and they need urgent
government and humanitarian food assistance to avert possible widespread
starvation.
The Famine Early Warning System Network for Food Security Outlook (Fewsnet)
from October 2010 to March 2011 said in the next six months an increased
number of people in areas which were the most affected by poor rains during
the 2009/2010 agricultural season were likely to face starvation.
“As the lean season commences most households in the traditionally grain
deficit provinces of Masvingo, Matabeleland, the extreme western area, and
northern area of the country have run out of their own cereal stocks and are
already reliant on inadequate and erratic maize supplies on the market,”
reads the report.
Fewsnet said the people’s hope now lay with humanitarian and government food
assistance programmes.
“Though there is likely to be an improved supply of basic commodities on the
market throughout the outlook period, prices of basic commodities are
expected to increase, limiting access for the very poor and poor households
in urban areas. These affected households are expected to be moderately food
insecure throughout the outlook period,” read the report.
“The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) grain sales are not very significant across
the provinces, some cereal deficit households prefer buying from traders
whose prices are lower. Despite the limited supplies on the market,
households are also facing access challenges as prices of grains on the
market are picking up and this is expected to prevail through to the next
harvest in April/May. As a result, most vulnerable households will require
food assistance.”
The report said according to an assessment by ZimVAC Rural Livelihoods,
Masvingo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces and northern
parts of the country had the highest prevalence of food insecurity due to
the dry spell in the second half of the 2009/2010 cropping season.
“As is expected, a majority of very poor and poor households have run out of
their cereal stocks and are relying more on the market to meet food
requirements.”
“The main shock affecting households in this zone and other parts of the
country is the high cost of agricultural inputs. Farmers might not benefit
from the predicted favourable rains in both halves of the 2010/11 rainy
season if they fail to access the costly inputs. Though inputs are readily
available on the market, a majority of the small-holder farmers are not
likely to afford this.”
Wongai Zhangazha