adminSamuel Kadungure Farming Reporter
ORGANISED black market maize dealers in Manicaland have penetrated the foreign market where they are importing truckloads of grain for sale in drought stressed parts of the province at a cost of $7 per bucket.
Most of the grain is imported from Zambia for $220 per tonne.
Transport costs $2000 from Zambia to Harare. In South Africa maize prices are $309 per metric tonne.
The stampede to import grain follows a serious food shortage and reports that the country has only a few months’ supply of maize in strategic grain silos.
The country is holding 150 000 tonnes in reserves against a national requirement of 1,8 million metric tonnes.
The Manica Post understands that the cartels are making brisk business targeting communal farmers whose 2015/16 crop has suffered the severe effects of drought as lack of rain and scorching heat left it having stunt growth, caused pastures to dry up and forced some to leave fields untilled.
The severe weather vagaries destroyed livelihoods of farmers in Lowveld, Buhera and Mutare districts and parts of Nyanga South, Makoni South where most could not till their land because it was not worthwhile.
The lean period has also negatively affected the water levels of most farm dams and major rivers in Manicaland putting even the irrigated crop at risk.
Farmers with irrigated crop are failing to complete scheduled irrigation cycles due to fast dwindling water levels.
This has put the province in danger of failing to produce enough to meet food requirements of its growing population and livestock.
Government on Tuesday issued a national and international appeal for over $1, 5 billion to cope with the current El Nino drought induced drought threatening about three million Zimbabweans.
President Mugabe last week declared a state of emergency, igniting the concerted appeal by Government and the international community. Funds were being mobilised to cater for food and nutrition, agriculture, water, education and energy sector.
About $717 292 000 is required for grain imports, $350 million for irrigation and infrastructure and $199 659 077 for school feeding programmes.
The grain dealers have huge stacks of grain in Mutare, Rusape and Chipinge, where the vulnerable can access the staple grain with ease.
“This drought presents an opportunity and in a way we are assisting in a small way to fight hunger. We are importing the grain from Zambia at a cost of $250 per tonne. We arrived on Monday with three 30 tonne trucks,” said Mr Maticha Chamwada.
Another dealer, Mr Richard Mandizha, said: “There is a stampede for grain in Zambia, and this has resulted in an upsurge in the prices and strict control measures of grain movement in that country. The product is affordable and we are providing variety for affected families”.
Agritex head for Manicaland, Mr Godfrey Mamhare, on Wednesday, said Manicaland was extremely dry, having last received moderate rains, which gave farmers hope to plant two weeks ago.
Even in Makoni, Odzi, Mutare, Mutasa, Nyanga and Chipinge which are the hubs of the staple maize production in Manicaland, the situation is dire.
In Buhera and the Lowveld areas, which are perennially dry as they lie in the rain shadow, livestock was dying indiscriminately due to grazing pastures and water shortages.
Mr Ezekiel Manyore of Buhera, said the district had been stalked by hunger since 1981.
He said there was no hope that the rains would return and even if that was the case it would still be too late.
Mr Manyore said they were barter trading their livestock — goats, chickens and cattle for food, but cattle were now dying at an alarming rate as the dry weather has seen pastures wilting, while rivers are drying up.
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