Vusumuzi DubeBruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
THE distribution of grain to Zimbabweans vulnerable to hunger is set to go a gear up in October, with 500 000 metric tonnes earmarked for the programme, a Cabinet Minister has said.
According to projections of the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Zimvac) for rural livelihood assessment results (2022), approximately 38 percent of the country’s rural population consisting of 3.8 million people will be food insecure over the peak hunger period between January and March in 2023.
Responding to Rushinga Member of Parliament, Tendai Nyabani, who had enquired about the cushioning of vulnerable rural people who were feeling the effects of a poor rainy season, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the food distribution programme would go a gear up in October.
“On the food deficit mitigation programme, the programme has always been there and there has been a response in terms of the cry for help. There has been ad hoc disbursement but starting in October, we will get into full throttle with that programme. From October to March, we have strategic grain reserves already – almost 500 000 metric tonnes,” Minister Ncube said.
The programme targets the elderly, child-headed families and orphans for free food distribution while the able bodied will be recruited to do food for work projects in their localities.
The exercise has been necessitated by the need to cushion citizens from hunger after some parts of the country received poor yields in the 2021/22 farming season due to drought-induced conditions.
Online Reporter