We received the following from Francis Bingandadi.
The Zimbabwe summer season looks very bleak if no interventions from outside the country do not come in quickly as the country is facing very serious shortages of fuel, seed, labour, drought power, fertilizers, chemicals, finance and other inputs for production.The inputs need to be in the country by now and there is very little time for farmers to receive them, and make meaningful plans for production on the target hacterage for food security.
The Midlands provincial Agriculture Research and Extension Officer, Mr. Mnikelo Shirichena, said that preparations for the summer season are behind time as most farmers in irrigated areas, in the Sherwood Farming Block in Kwekwe, the Golden Ridge in the Lower Gweru and other small pockets in the country are still preparing to harvest the winter wheat crop, and later prepare for the summer crop.
He said the farmers do not however have any problem with combine harvesters as the province took a significant delivery of the machines in time from the Central Bank.
Mr. Shirichena said that Government has made significant plans for the summer crop for farmers to focus on the production of food security crops like maize, sorghum and millet in high rainfall, low rainfall and irrigated areas, focusing the best producers called “champion farmers”.
The target beneficiaries of government assistance programmes have already identified and all stakeholders are just waiting to come in with the necessary help for the distribution and accessing of the inputs, extension, production, monitoring and coordination.
Zimbabwe has had severe food shortages for a very long time and many people are thinking the care take government should ensure food security and equitable distribution of land to people who can produce regardless of their colourAccording to FAO drought in Zimbabwe could severely damage the 2008 harvest and worsen an already tight food security situation.
FAO, said in a statement that, “the food situation in Zimbabwe is critical and food insecurity for about one third of the vulnerable population keeps worsening”.
Once the breadbasket for Africa, Zimbabwe is queuing for food, and needs to import maize, wheat and other cereals as this season promises to be a total right off. With a record rate of inflation, low salaries, and little to no production the political leadership in Zimbabwe need to focus more on production or procurement of food to ensure that the country has enough for the season.It is ironic that Zimbabwe is now importing food from neighbouring Zambia and Malawi, countries that welcomed commercial farmers from Zimbabwe and offered the farmers incentives and free land to produce.
With foreign currency sourced from the black market at very high rates the Zimbabwe government has managed to import about 80% of her grain and cereal requirements of late. Mr. Shirichena said the government is also targeting vulnerable groups like orphans, for them to access inputs.He added that there are so many NGOs like Christian Care that are working with authorities to assist 5 000 households in Shurugwi, in the Midlands alone and farmers all over the country with inputs for the summer season.Last year the European Union donated close to 40% of the food that was recievd by Zimbabwe and The World Food Programme has warned that "the food security situation in Zimbabwe remains alarming, and without continued international support, a significant proportion of the population will remain at serious risk".
The season may not be all that dark if help arrives in time for farmers to plan and take advantage of the early rains.