Govt unveils comprehensive drought mitigation plan
Government implements measures to combat drought, including food aid, cash transfers, and resourcing winter cropping season. President Mnangagwa assures support for production efforts. Tailored food distribution for rural and urban areas. Assurance of stability amid price control. National grain stock at 423,779 tonnes. Private sector expected to import stockfeed and maize to mitigate drought impact. Zimbabwe poised to emerge stronger.
GOVERNMENT has put in place a cocktail of measures including availing food aid to both urban and rural areas to feed at least 7.7 million people in the wake of the devastating drought.
The Government has also adequately resourced the winter cropping season, in light of the climate change-induced drought.
Those in the urban areas will be given cash transfers for their mealie meal supplies, with Government putting in place mechanisms to ensure there is no profiteering and the price remains at US$6,50 for 10kg of mealie meal.
Responding to questions posed by the media during a post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare yesterday, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said the Second Republic was pulling all the stops to ensure things are in order, both in households and the fields.
“Regarding power, we require about 100MW to 120MW daily to be able to feed the 120 000 hectares. We have a ring-fencing arrangement, all the meters of the 2 577 farmers that are producing wheat have a GPS position and the meter is with ZETDC so if there is an outage we can know in 15 minutes whether
that is because of load-shedding or another problem so we can respond timeously,” said Minister Masuka.
“On seed, we wanted 16 000 tonnes to do the 120 000 hectares, we have 11 500 tonnes available of commercial seed but we know that farmers retain up to 25 percent of their own seed and if that fails, we have activated the GMB to provide standard commercial seed, so we are very comfortable in that area.
“Fertilisers we are at about 76 percent requirement. We have a major consignment coming out of Zambia today (yesterday), 11 000 tonnes should be crossing the border and by about Friday we expect quite a lot of improvements.
“We also have the likes of FSG, Windmill and ZFC ramping up supply to be able to produce and provide enough so that by May 31 this year, 75 percent of the wheat should have been planted and we think that all these enablers will be in place.”
Minister Masuka also spoke about the availability of water.
“You will be pleased to know that despite the isolated unavailability of adequate water to irrigate farmers’ requirements and expectations, overall, we have 141 000 hectares worth of water for this winter at an allocation of 5 megalitres for a wheat crop.”
President Mnangagwa, said Minister Masuka, was very much keeping tabs on the country’s food aid and production efforts.
“After every Thursday, our ministry issues a statement based on the stakeholders meeting. The President, His Excellency, Dr ED Mnangagwa, participated in our weekly meeting last Thursday, where he interacted with farmers and gave them an assurance that he is confident that they will rise to the occasion
and ensure that this nation will be able to produce enough to feed itself and others can come and support us,” he said.
On the food distribution side, Minister Masuka said Government had come up with tailor-made arrangements for both rural and urban areas in need of assistance.
“The 6 million rural households will get physical maize, wheat or traditional grains . . . that is the 7,5kg per person per month and to reduce transport costs we will give each one enough to last 3 months, we will not be distributing food every month because of the numbers. But if we go into an area, the minimum we will give a person is 22,5kg to last three months and then we will come back the fourth month.
“The urban areas, we will give cash transfers because, remember we said the private sector has mobilised sufficient resources to able to import and avail mealie meal to urban areas.
“However, we have enough apparatus within the Government system to intervene should there be profiteering by the private sector in any sector and I urge you to be on the lookout. Wherever you see a 10kg packet of roller meal going beyond US$6,50, please ring the alarm bell so we can intervene as
Government and we have enough tools to ensure stability in the nation,” he said.
Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere, who chaired the media briefing, said Zimbabwe would come out stronger as the Second Republic was stopping at nothing to ensure its people are well catered for.
“Government assures citizens that Zimbabwe will emerge from this drought stronger, more united, more resilient, better organised, better coordinated and better capable of withstanding similar shocks in future.
“A comprehensive report on drought strategies and measures is now available and will shape interventions going forward,” he said.
Minister Muswere said the national grain stock, as of May 9, stood at 423 779 tonnes.
“The private sector is expected to import all the stockfeed requirements of 400 000 tonnes, and urban maize requirements of up to 450 000 tonnes to March 2025. The private sector can import 1 000 000 tonnes to mitigate the effect of the drought,” he said.
Source Link : https://www.herald.co.zw/govt-unveils-comprehensive-drought-mitigation-plan/
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