Two million need food aid in Zim –– Fewsnet
http://www.theindependent.co.zw/
Thursday, 13 January 2011 17:56
Paul Nyakazeya
AN estimated 2,2 million Zimbabweans are in need of food aid, the Famine
Early Warning System Network (Fewsnet), an early warning system that
monitors food security around the world, said in its latest report.
However, government has dismissed the report, with Agriculture minister
Joseph Made suggesting that the Fewsnet projections do not portray the
“correct” situation on the ground.
“Their (Fewsnet) estimates are wrong. Such figures are not readily available
yet,” Made said.
“We are waiting for the first crop assessment that will give us the amount
of hectarage planted not yields, basing on the quantities needed in the
country and then the food position can be interpreted,” Made said.
The minister said the USAid-funded Fewsnet was not “transparent and sincere”
when dealing with Zimbabwe and as such government ignores their projections.
“Why should they care about Zimbabwe when they imposed sanctions that are
hurting our people?,” Made said.
“In any case they should leave us alone and relocate to Australia where they
are wanted because of the calamity that is there,” Made said.
Some agriculture experts, however, said Fewsnet’s projections portrayed were
“almost close to the ground” as they deploy experts in all provinces to
record the correct situation on the ground.
The annual national food requirement is about 1,7 million tonnes, but only
around 1,35 million tonnes was harvested in 2009/10.
The 1,8 million hectares planted for maize in 2009/10 represented a 20%
increase from the previous year, but the greater amount of land under
cultivation was not mirrored in the harvest, which only increased 7% from
the previous year.
Zimbabwe’s combined cereal production in the 2009/10 season was an estimated
1,52 million metric tonnes.
Made said the “correct” assessment of Zimbabwe’s food situation “will come
from assessments done by Zimbabweans, but I cannot give you a figure as of
now. We are busy ensuring that our farmers have inputs to improve crop
yields this year.
“It would be interesting to know food projections in America against
freezing temperatures and climate change.”
In June last year Fewsnet downgraded Zimbabwe’s food security situation,
revising downwards the number of months covered by the 2009/10 harvest from
seven to four.
“This is a shift from the April outlook estimate of seven-plus months of
cereal sufficiency for the consumption year based on information from the
crop and livestock assessment conducted by the Agriculture, Mechanisation
and Irrigation Development ministry,” Fewsnet said.
It said Matabeleland South and Masvingo provinces had the least cereal
supply, ranging from one-and-half months to less than three months.
This was due to a mid-season dry spell which adversely affected crop
production in the two provinces.
The Matabeleland North cereal supply was recorded as being high due to the
success of small grains in the area.
Fewsnet said external assistance was urgently needed in food-deficit areas
such as Masvingo, Matabeleland South and parts of Manicaland provinces as
well as Mashonaland East’s Mudzi district.