Mutoko faces acute food shortages

harvest in Wards 4, 18 and 19 as these communal areas received below normal and erratic rains.
“However, resettlement areas falling under natural regions 2 (b) had better rains and there are prospects of harvesting,” he said.
Mr Mudavanhu said last year, villagers in the district got better yields following good rains and some of them delivered grain to the Grain Marketing Board.
Since Mutoko does not have GMB silos, Mr Mudavanhu said they will receive strategic grain reserves from Murehwa GMB Depot.
“We have since intensified calls to grow small grains as they are more drought tolerant. It’s, however, not an easy task as our villagers are traditionally used to growing maize since it’s the staple food,” he said.
Mr Mudavanhu expressed his gratitude to Government for extending the Grain Loan Scheme to next year. Uzumba Member of the House of Assembly Cde Simbaneuta Mudarikwa said his constituency also received erratic rains.
He commended the Environmental Management Agency for providing small grain inputs in his constituency.
“We express our gratitude towards this noble gesture from EMA. A huge small grains field day is on the cards during the coming weeks meant to conscientise villagers on shifting focus from maize production,” he said.
EMA Mashonaland East provincial environmental education and publicity officer Mr Astas Mabwe said they will continue supporting farming of small grains by communal farmers.