Poor Zimbabweans To get 7.5kg Of Maize Per Month
In response to the devastating impact of the 2023/2024 drought on crop production, the government has announced an emergency food aid programme to assist food-insecure citizens.
According to the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Jenfan Muswere, the government will be providing 7.5kg of food per person per month to beneficiaries from July to September 2024.
This intervention is aimed at averting starvation, particularly in the country’s rural areas, where the drought has resulted in very little or no harvest from the summer cropping season.
Muswere further said that the food aid programme will be expanded from October 2024 to March 2025, with beneficiaries receiving 8.5kg of food per person per month during this period.
The majority of the programme’s beneficiaries will be drawn from the country’s rural populations, who have been the hardest hit by the El Nino-induced drought that severely reduced crop yields across the country. Said Muswere:
The 2024 Rural Livelihoods Assessment established that the total cereal requirements from the National Strategic Grain Reserve for the period July 2024 to March 2025 would be 448 350 metric tonnes, broken down as follows; 45 750 metric tonnes per month for July to September 2024; and 51 850 metric tonnes per month for October 2024 to March 2025.
The food insecure people will receive 7.5kg per person per month for the period July to September 2024, and 8.5kg per person per month from October 2024 to March 2025.
The Report noted that 121 482.6 metric tonnes will be required for the school feeding programme from July 2024 to April 2025.
Government will avail the requisite quantities for the school feeding programme and will prioritise payment of the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM).
The 2023/2024 agricultural season in Zimbabwe was severely affected by a prolonged drought that gripped much of the country.
The drought had a significant impact on crop production, with maize, the country’s staple food, being particularly hard hit.
Crop yields were also drastically reduced, with many farmers reporting total crop failures in the worst affected areas.
The drought was exacerbated by erratic rainfall patterns, with long dry spells and insufficient precipitation during the crucial growing stages of the crops.
This led to widespread wilting and stunting of maize plants, as well as reduced yields for other major crops like sorghum, millet and groundnuts.
The government declared the 2023/2024 agricultural season a national disaster and made appeals for international aid and support.
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