Vusumuzi Dube
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
OVER 190 000 metric tonnes of grain has been distributed to vulnerable and food insecure households in the country since since February this year.
The development is part of a blitz food distribution targeting all food insecure vulnerable households in Zimbabwe and is currently supporting approximately six million people in rural areas and another one million in urban areas.
On Tuesday, Cabinet received and noted the update on the 2023/2024 Summer Crops Marketing, Food Security Outlook to March 2025, 2024 Winter Crops Production and the 2024/2025 Crops Summer Season Plan, as presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka.
In his post-Cabinet briefing yesterday Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere said the Government has also distributed mealie-meal to schools under the Emergency Schools Feeding Programme.
“Pertaining to the ongoing Food Deficit Mitigation Programme, cumulatively, Government has distributed 197,628.796 metric tonnes of grain to feed the vulnerable and food insecure households since February 2024.
“Additionally, Government has also distributed 17 421 metric tonnes of mealie-meal to schools under the Emergency Schools Feeding Programme since the beginning of the 3rd Term, with a view of ensuring learners get a decent meal on each school day,” he said.
He said to date, the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has received 20 148 metric tonnes of maize, soyabeans, sorghum and sunflower from the El Nino-ravaged 2023/2024 summer season.
Dr Muswere said the private sector has imported 974 658 metric tonnes of maize, wheat and wheat flour since 1st April 2024, and Government of Zimbabwe has also imported 39 916 metric tonnes of maize.
The Minister said the total strategic grain reserve stock stands at 244 296 metric tonnes.
He added: “Regarding 2024 winter wheat production, a record wheat crop has been harvested to date. As at 1 November 2024, about 106 238 hectares had been harvested, giving a total of 518 502 metric tonnes of wheat, surpassing the 465 546 metric tonnes achieved in 2023. To date, 75 000 metric tonnes of wheat has been delivered to the GMB.”
Dr Muswere said the remarkable performance of the winter wheat programme attests to the foresight, planning and organizational dexterity of President Mnangagwa.
The Minister said harvesting was proceeding using over 291 configured combine harvesters and more than 550 000 metric tonnes of wheat is expected.
In terms of the 2024/2025 Summer Season Plan, he said it aims to increase production of cereals to 3 274 200 metric tonnes, against the 744 271 metric tonnes obtained during the 2023/2024 summer season.
“The overall production volumes of major crops are expected to increase by 347 percent from a mere 915 000 metric tonnes to over 4 million metric tonnes. The production target for cereals is 3.3 million metric tonnes, while that for pulses is 819 500 metric tonnes.”
Dr Muswere said under the Presidential Input Schemes, 91 percent of the targeted 9.5 million plots have been prepared by 86 percent of the targeted 3.5 million households.
He said all beneficiaries will receive 50 percent of their inputs by 24th November, 2024.
Online Reporter