Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT will continue distributing grain to the vulnerable until year-end to stave off hunger and starvation in the wake of poor rains received this farming season which badly affected crops in most parts of the country.
Hopes of a good harvest for many farmers have been crushed after they lost their crops to a prolonged dry spell. This might result in an increase in the number of households in need of food assistance.
Despite projections of normal to above normal rainfall in both the first and second half of the 2021/2022 cropping season, the dry spell has persisted causing moisture stress on crops.
Speaking in Parliament recently, Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Lovemore Matuke, said Government had initially intended to ceasing distributing food aid in March, with the hope that people would have had good yields.
This, however, is not the case anymore.
“We all know that we received little rainfall than anticipated. Firstly, allow me to say that it is our duty as the Government to make sure that we attend to situations such as hunger. Government intervenes by assisting with food.
Government’s intention was to stop giving food aid this March to these people, but looking at the situation now, some people will not have any meaningful harvest, so Government will carry on assisting people until the end of this year,” he said.
“Government will list all people who have been affected by lack of rains this year. The number of people who were getting food aid from the Government will increase this year depending on the areas they are coming from and the nature or effect of hunger.
Government is working round the clock to assist people, especially those already receiving aid.”
Deputy Minister Matuke said Government was also assisting the vulnerable with money.
Traditional leaders have said Government’s intervention is critical as many households have been left in despair. Chief Bango in Mangwe District said many people had lost their crops.
When the maize crop started wilting, people thought small grains would survive, but most of them were now a complete write off.
“This time people did a lot of work in their fields as they assumed that crops will do well just like in the previous farming season.
At the onset of the season, the rains were promising, which gave people hope. The prolonged dry spell caused a lot of strain on the crops.
It’s a noble decision by Government to continue giving food assistance to communities because they will need it.
If possible, may more households be incorporated under this programme as more will need help.
Those who will harvest will only get a small portion that won’t last that much,” he said. Chief Bango said dams did not receive significant inflows, which means livestock will also struggle to get adequate drinking water.
Chief Masendu of Bulilima District said poor rains spelt serious problems for the rural folk, as many families depend on farming as a source of livelihood.
He said some villagers in his area were looking forward to harvesting small grains, but they were devoured by quelea birds.
Chief Masendu said assistance from Government will go a long way in addressing food challenges in most rural households.
“This time around people will be seriously affected by drought because there is nothing to harvest in the fields. It’s more difficult for families in the rural areas as they depend mainly on farming as a source of livelihood.
Communities are going to need all the assistance they can get,” he said. – @DubeMatutu
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