via Zim farmers predict poor farming season – report | News24 2013-11-14

Farmers in Zimbabwe have expressed concern over the country’s persistent liquidity crunch, a situation which has led them to predict another poor agricultural season.

Commercial Framers Union President Charles Taffs said poor preparations caused by a shortage of inputs and working capital had proved to be a blow to the current planting season as most farmers failed to access loans, according to Southern Eye.

Taffs said it was most likely that the country would experience lower yields next year compared to the 2012-2013 period.

The report comes at a time when Zimbabwe is already faced with a serious food deficit.

Recent reports indicated that hundreds of people in rural areas were surviving on wild fruit amid intensifying hunger.

Statistics by the World Food Programme show that about 2.2 million people in Zimbabwe face hunger and that they might need food assistance in the coming months.

Zimbabwe started experiencing serious food deficits over a decade ago after President Robert Mugabe’s government embarked on a violent land reform programme.

At least 4 000 white commercial farmers were evicted from their farms.