President’s close watch on food provision

The Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Ministry has been on the ground, assessing various communities’ food requirements.

This was done under auspices of the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee – a panel that comprises Government and non-governmental organisations.
The assessment feeds into a comprehensive system that informs Government and its development partners of measures that should be taken to avert possible starvation.
It partly fulfils Zim-Asset goals on food security and nutrition, which are both priorities.
ZimVac’s research shows that about 16 percent of rural households (approximately 1, 5 million people) have insufficient means to meet their food requirements in 2015-16.
This means such people have exhausted all their potential to acquire food, and their number has escalated in 2015 compared to 2014.
Matabeleland North and South and Masvingo have the highest proportion of food insecurity.
So, they need assistance.
The situation is unsurprising, though, as it is a result of last season’s drought.
ZimVac estimates that all households with inadequate food need 55, 130 metric tonnes. Nonetheless, we have actually mobilised much more than this.
We have already finished identifying the needy, and this process was thorough, with structured questionnaires having been distributed among the people and community focus groups.
Government, United Nations and NGO representatives supervised group discussions.
We are upbeat about this programme and have compiled registers in all administrative districts.
The groundwork has been done; what remains is distribution, which will be done at ward level.
The beneficiaries we consider are child-headed families, families headed by the elderly, the unemployed and the physically challenged, among other vulnerable groups.
Our social workers visit communities to identify prospective beneficiaries.
Everything is looked at – their harvest, challenges and all.
Vetting is done at community level, starting in wards; spreading outwardly to districts and provinces.
We have now officially begun food relief and believe a voucher system that we have introduced will smoothen the process.
Under this system, each beneficiary will be given a voucher, and will only access maize upon presenting this voucher at the respective Grain Marketing Board depots.
These vouchers bear personal details like one’s national ID number, date of birth and next of kin.
They will be distributed to all provinces, starting this weekend so that people begin collecting maize (this week).
In addition to this maize, NGOs are distributing a package comprising sugar beans, cooking oil and US$20.
At least 112 000 tonnes of maize are available for distribution, and 45 000 tonnes of this consignment are from the Strategic Grain Reserve, with the remainder being pooled by development partners.
We are happy this maize is available and that identifying the vulnerable was smooth.
Therefore, we are certain that no Zimbabwean will go hungry, or die of hunger.
We are going to assess whether we need food imports, as part of the Grain Import Programme.
It should be understood that the period between now and March is the most critical, as this is when most people would have exhausted food supplements and need assistance.
It is the leanest period when people face food challenges.
It is Government’s social responsibility to look after its people, ensuring everyone is fed. That’s what responsible governments like ours do.
We are aware of all issues affecting the people, like climate change, drought and others that lead to poor harvests.
As such, it is incumbent upon us to guarantee essential foods.
The programme is for all Zimbabweans, regardless of political affiliation, gender or race. It benefits everyone who is in need of food.
There have been reports that Zimbabwe requires grain imports urgently.
Let me state here that imports will only supplement what is in the Strategic Grain Reserve.
There is no urgent need for imports.
Our reserve is well-stocked.
The 112 000 metric tonnes of maize I referred to earlier are enough to last us till March 2016, which is essentially the beginning of the next harvest period.
So, until March, we do not actually need any more grain imports.
However, if we are to import, we would only be doing so as a precaution so that we get into the next harvest with some stocks to spare.
So far, we have imported about 16 000 tonnes from Zambia, and this is because we expect the SGR to be replenished by farmers’ deliveries to the GMB.
The GMB is paying for all maize deliveries, so this is encouraging to farmers.
We are aware that some communal and commercial farmers in certain areas have been withholding their grain from the GMB due to non-payment for deliveries spanning seasons.
However, farmers have regained confidence in the parastatal as it is now paying, including for 2014-15 deliveries.
In the past, food relief has invariably been delayed, but Government has done its best to ensure everything is done early this time around.
The President is very particular about this issue. He makes sure grain distribution to the vulnerable tops Cabinet’s agenda every week.
He always ensures this issue is on the table, relentlessly asking questions.
In every Cabinet meeting, soon after introductions, the first thing he says is, “Are the people not hungry?”
Farming inputs will also be distributed alongside food.
So, the two processes will run concurrently.
We are liaising with the Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Ministry to determine when we can start distributing inputs to vulnerable families.
We want to give maize and inputs vouchers simultaneously.
We have now begun manufacturing the input vouchers and these should be available (this week).
The inputs will be distributed to 350 000 households, with each getting a 50kg bag of Compound D fertiliser, 50kg ammonium nitrate and 10 kg maize seed.
We have 17 353 tonnes of Compound D and 10 321 tonnes of AN in our stocks. The maize seed is yet to be secured, but it will certainly be made available. Plans are underway to get it in the coming days.

◆ Honourable Prisca Mupfumira is the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, and this article was taken from her interview with our Chief Reporter Kuda Bwititi in Harare on October 28, 2015.