Two million face starvation
http://www.theindependent.co.zw/
September 14, 2012 in News
ABOUT two million Zimbabweans will require food aid during the 2012/2013
agricultural season because of poor rainfall patterns and limited access to
farming inputs.
Report by Staff Writer
According to a recent Zimbabwe 2012 Consolidated Appeal report compiled by
the World Food Programme (WFP), the country’s food security remains unstable
as the government has failed to subsidise indigenous farmers who benefited
from the land reform programme, under which white-owned large scale
commercial farms were expropriated for resettlement purposes.
As a result, poor harvests have characterised every season since the chaotic
land reform programme in 2000.
About 1,6 million people are receiving food aid in the current season and
WFP country director Felix Bamezon said his organisation was gearing up to
meet the rise in demand for food assistance countrywide.“Our field staff is
already reporting signs of distress in rural areas, including empty
granaries and farmers selling off their livestock to make ends meet,” said
Bamezon. “To meet the increased needs, WFP and its partners will undertake
food distributions with regionally procured cereals as well as imported
vegetable oil and pulses.”
The food crisis comes at a time the Meteorological Services Department has
predicted drought during Zimbabwe’s traditional farming season from October
2012 to around March 2013.
Meteorologist Barnabas Chipindu advised farmers last Thursday to plant
drought-resistant crops to minimise the impact of poor rainfall as another
severe drought looms.
Areas that would be severely affected by the drought include Matabeleland
provinces, parts of Masvingo and Manicaland, the meteorological department
said.
In an effort to alleviate the food shortages, government has struck a deal
with northern neighbour Zambia to import 300 000 tonnes of maize.
Ironically, the bulk of the imported maize is being produced by former white
commercial farmers evicted during the land invasions.
Mandivamba Rukuni, founder and executive director of Wisdom Africa
Leadership Academy, has urged government to invest in agriculture to
alleviate food insecurity.
“The government has to invest much in this sector so that such a scenario
can never be experienced,” Rukuni said. “Malawi is one of the poorest
countries in Africa, but its government is investing 15% of its budget in
maize production because it is a food security crop.”