Fungai Lupande Mashonaland Central Bureau
Villagers in Mbire district are now surviving on food aid from the Government and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) after 90 percent of their maize crop was written off due to the drought.

Lower Guruve Development Association (LDGA) programmes coordinator Mrs Sekai Janga said the WFP was complementing Government efforts in providing food aid in Mbire through the lean season assistance.
“Lean season assistance is given to communities that have 20 percent of its population affected by drought,” she said. “This farming season, the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee Report said the district has 23 percent food insecurity level.

“The WFP is assisting people in five wards out of the 17 in the district, which has a population of 14 418 people and 3 625 households. People are getting 7,5 kilogrammes of cereals, 1,5 kilogrammes of pulses and 810 millilitres of vegetable oil per individual.

“For the past three months we received super cereal plus porridge for the under-fives to boost their nutrition. The remaining 12 wards are receiving aid from Government through Social Welfare. The WFP project is ending this month and we are hoping that they renew the assistance because this is a dire situation.

“The food shortage is critical, rains stopped when the crops were flowering. According to Agritex, maize was the worst affected and could be above 90 percent. Sorghum, sesame and cotton did fairly well, but the yield was affected by pests and disease outbreaks because of the dry and hot season.

“We have also embarked on long- term projects that can assist people to develop nutritional gardens, dip tanks, splash drains, orchards and seed banks. We have a few Agritex extension officers in this area and we have come up with animal health management centres.”

Mbire legislator Cde Douglas Karoro, who is also the Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, said the GMB would bear the cost of transporting drought relief grain to all wards.

“Mushumbi Wards 9, 17, 3 will collect at the GMB depot,” he said. “Those in Kanyemba don’t entertain anyone who demands money for transportation of the maize. Chidodo, Gonono, Sapa, Kasemberere, Masomo your maize will come to you at zero cost.”

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