Among the cocktail of measures aimed to climate-proof the
agriculture sector and ensure the country is food-secure, all Ministers of
State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution are meeting monthly to come up with
strategies and share notes on how they can mitigate against the possible
impacts of drought in their provinces.
One such meeting was held on Friday at a leisure resort
about 60 kilometres out of Beitbridge in Matabeleland South Province where
Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr
Anxious Masuka assured the nation the food security situation was under
control.
“We meet for our
monthly interactive meeting with Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and
Devolution and the topical issue is the current El Nino induced drought. We get
reports from across the country where the crop situation is indicated to be
ranging from fair to dire.
“This season has clearly lived up to the very harsh El Nino
phenomenon that was forecasted. We did say that the season will be delayed but
it has also been indicated that the phenomenon will be short and sharp. The
current weather models are not indicating rain until the end of the month and
our crops by that stage would have been severely stressed.”
He said there was a need to eliminate household-induced
food deficit, while farmers continue to be advised to grow crops according to
their agro-ecological regions. The Minister said Cabinet has directed that the
Grain Marketing Board (GMB)’s strategic grain reserve must be increased to 1,5
million tonnes for food security.
As of yesterday (Thursday), GMB only had 200 000 metric
tonnes of grain, but because of the changed structure deliberation and
marketing arrangements, GMB is no longer the monopoly purchaser of grains. GMB
now only purchases surpluses from Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme producers and
also self-financed farmers. AFC and CBZ (banks) no longer go to GMB but direct
to contractors and the private sector.
“We have a policy that 40 percent of the annual raw
material requirement must be procured through contracting farmers. The private
sector holds 526 000 metric tonnes that were marketed last year, while GMB has
under 200 000 metric tonnes a 39 percent share of marketed crops,” said Dr
Masuka.
Dr Masuka said the Government was also constructing dams
across the country as it was working on increasing the area under summer
irrigation for food security. He said food security at national level was
achieved through accelerated irrigation rehabilitation and development.
“That is why we are constructing 13 more dams to the 10 600
dams we have in the country. We are potentially able to irrigate two million
hectares and currently, we have developed an additional irrigation area of
208 000 hectares, with 75 000 hectares
for summer irrigation. We want to make sure that 350 000 hectares will be
available for summer irrigation so that we produce 1.8 million metric tonnes
which is what this country requires annually for human consumption which is why
we want to do accelerated irrigation development.”
The Minister said the Government had also introduced
another strategy where in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Service,
Labour and Social Welfare it would assist rural households through trainings to
improve food security.
He said after undergoing trainings and planting three plots
under Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, those that wish to access social welfare
would be assisted, with 71 000 tonnes to be distributed.
Meanwhile, Dr Masuka also warned those who were settling on
land illegally that they were attracting the wrath of the law.
“In the context of the recent nationwide police blitz under
the banner ‘No to land barons’, we had discussions with both Vice-Presidents
and there are further directions that they have given.
“There is now an inter-ministerial committee that has been
constituted and I am chairing it, we will be meeting on Monday to receive a
report from the Commissioner General of Police on the operation after which an
announcement will be made,” he said. Sunday News
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