Harare (New Ziana) – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has commended countries and organisations that responded to the government’s appeal for humanitarian assistance as the country grapples with an El Nino-induced drought.
Zimbabwe and the rest of the Southern African region are in the throes of a devastating drought that heavily affected the 2023/2024 harvests, leaving more than 9 million people, especially in rural areas, in need of food assistance.
As a result, the government is conducting a blitz to distribute food aid to about 9.2 million food-insecure people in rural areas while 1.7 million in urban areas are benefiting from an Urban Cash for Cereals Transfer Program.
In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) to the second session of the 10th Parliament at the New Parliament Building at Mt Hampden, President Mnangagwa said the El Nino-induced drought constrained the country’s growth across all economic sectors, particularly agriculture.
“However, under the Food Deficit Mitigation Program, communities requiring food assistance in rural areas are receiving grain, while vulnerable households in urban areas are benefitting through the Cash-for-Cereals Program,” he said.
“Of particular note is the school feeding component which has been designed to avail at least one decent meal per day for all learners in communities hard hit by the drought. Be assured that no Zimbabwean will go without food.”
The Grain Marketing Board has established agro-shops, mainly in rural depots, as part of measures to ensure food availability at more affordable prices, he said.
This, he said, is being complimented by the establishment of 35 000 Village Business Units supported by the Presidential Borehole Drilling Program, to enhance food and nutrition security at the household level.
“May I recognise and applaud the vital role played by our farmers in feeding our people and contributing to Zimbabwe’s agricultural self-reliance,” President Mnangagwa said.
A new record wheat harvest of 600 000 tons is projected from the 2024 winter crop. This is a result of our unity of purpose and effective policy frameworks,” said President Mnangagwa, while expressing optimism that the 2024–2025 summer cropping season will come good amid projections of normal to above normal rainfall in most provinces.
President Mnangagwa expressed satisfaction with the pace of inputs distribution under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Presidential Climate-Proofed Agriculture Production Scheme and other programs, with various finance institutions and private sector stakeholders committing to support farmers under the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme.
“I congratulate ARDA (Agricultural and Rural Development Authority) for scooping the prestigious 2024 Africa Food Prize, in recognition of our people-centred transformative agriculture policies. For the upcoming summer season, ARDA has been given a target of 500 000 tons of cereals for the Strategic Grain Reserve,” he said.
He said water harvesting remains critical to climate change mitigation and adaptation towards complementing rain-fed production systems.
As a result, the full utilisation of small dams and weirs and the conveyancing around the bigger dams in the country is the top government priority, he stated.
The Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) has scaled up assistance to communities with tillage activities as the summer farming season draws closer, while the government has rolled out a program to bolster hay-baling and transportation to drier regions.
New Ziana
