adminOliver Kazunga Chronicle Reporter
A TOTAL of 90 tonnes of maize allocated by Government to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depot in Filabusi under the food relief programme have been distributed to needy families.Following erratic rains the country received during the last cropping season,
most families did not harvest anything and the worst affected are Matabeleland, North and South, Masvingo, Midlands and parts of Manicaland.
Government recently imported 150 000 tonnes of maize from Zambia to cover the food deficit and delivery of the maize has started.
The country which requires about 2,2 million tonnes of maize annually, harvested just about 800 000 tonnes the deficit has to be covered by imports.
In an interview on Friday, Filabusi GMB depot manager Mr Farai Kadiki said the 90 tonnes distributed was delivered at the depot two weeks ago.
“We distributed the maize to six of Insiza District’s 23 wards and we are expecting to receive another 90 tonnes of grain soon,” he said.
Mr Kadiki said the district requires at least 630 tonnes of maize per month.
He said Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Cde Abedinico Ncube and his delegation comprising Member of Parliament for Insiza Cde Andrew Langa who is also the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, assured them on Friday that villagers will also receive seed for small grains that were drought tolerant.
In moves meant to restore Zimbabwe’s status as the bread basket of Southern Africa, Government last week unveiled a $161 million input support scheme for farmers. This was in addition to $620 million that the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe and $100 million that CBZ has injected into agriculture.
Zimbabwe needs about 2.2 million tonnes of maize annually. The Second Round Crop and Livestock Assessment Report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development indicated that 798 600 tonnes of maize will be realised in the 2013 season down from an initial projection of 1.1 million tonnes.
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