Online Reporter
Fungai Lupande
Mashonaland Central Bureau
GOVERNMENT is compiling a database of households that continuously depend on grain relief in a move aimed at investigating the root causes of food insecurity in vulnerable communities.
Speaking at a winter wheat seminar in Glendale last Thursday, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said the initiative sought to identify why some households remained dependent on social welfare despite repeated Government interventions.
Last year, Zimbabwe recorded a bumper harvest of 2,4 million tonnes of maize and more than 400 000 tonnes of traditional grains, among other crops, including sweet potatoes.
However, some drought-prone districts such as Binga, Beitbridge and Chivi continued to require food assistance.
Dr Masuka said about 1,2 million people received assistance through the Department of Social Development, which distributed over 22 000 tonnes of grain.
“Now we want to know these people and where they stay. We want to investigate what is affecting them in attaining food sufficiency at the household level,” said Minister Masuka.
“Some families are child-headed, others are headed by persons with disabilities or the elderly. We will work with village heads and chiefs because no household should be a perpetual candidate for social welfare.”
He said the Chief Director of Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services would compile the database, which will be used to track vulnerable households and tailor long-term interventions.
Dr Masuka said the Government’s Vision 2030 agenda is anchored on agriculture because Zimbabwe remains an agro-based economy.
“In this vision, people do not have to travel to far away places looking for greener pastures because the opportunities are beneath our feet, in the soil,” he said.
He said the Government would intensify efforts to strengthen household resilience against weather-induced droughts amid fears of another difficult agricultural season.
While the Meteorological Services Department is expected to officially announce the seasonal rainfall outlook in August, climate experts are already observing conditions associated with a potentially strong El Niño phenomenon due to rising ocean temperatures.
“We are not certain yet, but indications are that low rainfall is expected and systems are already in place to plan ahead,” said Dr Masuka.
As part of preparedness measures, the Government has availed funding to the Grain Marketing Board to buy all grain delivered by farmers and ensure prompt payment.
Pfumvudza/Intwasa farmers with surplus grain have been encouraged to sell to the GMB, while beneficiaries of Presidential Inputs are expected to return 10 kilogrammes of maize grain or 25 kilogrammes for cotton farmers as part of the revolving support scheme being coordinated by village heads.
Dr Masuka also warned against what he termed “policy-induced drought”, where farmers receive inputs unsuitable for their agro-ecological regions.
