Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, declared a state of disaster on Wednesday morning due to an El Niño-induced drought that has severely impacted the country’s food security.
The declaration comes as the nation faces a cereal deficit of nearly 680,000 metric tonnes of grain. The President noted that initial assessments indicate that Zimbabwe requires more than US$2 billion to address the food security situation.
Addressing the nation, Mnangagwa said that the current agricultural season has been poor due to below-normal rainfall and the outbreak of Fall Armyworm.
The Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee Report for 2023 had already projected that 2.7 million people would be food insecure by the end of March 2024, and the drought has worsened the situation.
Mnangagwa said his administration is taking steps to address the food crisis, including allocating surplus wheat to the Strategic Grain Reserve and mobilizing resources for supplementary grain imports.
He added that measures are also being put in place to encourage private sector participation in the food import process.
The President emphasised that his top priority is ensuring that no Zimbabwean goes hungry. The government will secure all available grain in the country by offering competitive prices to farmers and will implement a mechanism to ensure timely distribution of food to needy communities.
“All available grain in the country will be secured through competitive prices and prompt payment towards encouraging farmers to release and sell available grain, including to the Grain Marketing Board.
“A robust and responsive mechanism has been put in place to guarantee that food reaches needy communities timely,” he said.
The government also pledged to give importance to the winter crop program for 2024. Mnangagwa called for the expansion of wheat farming on all available irrigable land with secure water sources.
Winter maize projects in areas like Chiredzi, Muzarabani, and Binga are also being reactivated.
Meanwhile, the United States Agency for International Development is giving US$11.27 million to the World Food Programme to help feed 230,000 Zimbabweans in poverty during the lean season.
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