138 000t of grain moved to vulnerable communities

Precious Manomano

Herald Reporter

The Government has started distributing 138 000 tonnes of grain from GMB silos to vulnerable communities, as efforts to eradicate hunger intensify in all parts of the country.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri said the process of distributing 138 000 tonnes of grain is underway, adding that Government will ensure that all vulnerable people get food aid.

“By end of June, we had 138 000 tonnes of grain in various GMB depots and that is now being moved to where it is required. That process is ongoing and communities that require food assistance are receiving it.

“The majority of farmers harvested nothing, there is a drought, we know that the vulnerability continues and intensifies as we move away further from the summer harvest. At the moment most regions are in a dire situation and this is what Social Welfare is dealing with.

“We have done our assessment together with the Social Welfare Department and we established that 6 million people are vulnerable in rural areas and 1,7 million in urban areas.

“In both rural and urban areas food is being moved and people are receiving various sums of money, to help them cope with the drought,” said Prof Jiri.

This year, Prof Jiri added, there are four sources of food, namely the meagre harvests, supplies from GMB, which are reaching every corner of the country, grain imports from the private sector as well as the expected bumper wheat harvest.

This year GMB is expecting 210 000 tonnes of grain that is coming from ARDA, AFC and commercial farmers.

So far, a cumulative total of 51 415,02 tonnes of grain have been distributed to vulnerable and food insecure people.

Manicaland received 7 780,64 tonnes, Mashonaland Central 5 891,09 tonnes, Mashonaland East 5 207,06 tonnes, Mashonaland West 6 078,17 tonnes, Masvingo 10 243,25 tonnes, Matabeleland North 3 215,13 tonnes, Matabeleland South 4 803,48 tonnes and Midlands 7 845,30 tonnes.

Additionally, a total of 2 816,80  tonnes has been collected to date across all provinces under the Zunde RaMambo/Isiphala Senkosi programme.

Government has indicated that there is enough food for everyone cautioning those involved in cereals distribution against corruption.

People who will benefit from the Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy and Urban Transfer Programme, in both rural and urban areas, will be expected to participate in public works programmes.

Government is currently prioritising irrigation rehabilitation and development as a way of mitigating the effects of climate change.

Zimbabwe has 217 000ha of irrigation developed throughout the country against the potential of 2,2 million ha.