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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]

THE Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has said it has enough stocks of grain in its strategic grain reserves (SGR) to ensure food security at the household level for vulnerable families across the country until the next harvest. 

The food deficit mitigation programme under which the Government provides vulnerable households with grain, will require about 24 000 tonnes per month.

The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare is listing those who are exposed to hunger as the Government wants to ensure that no one dies of hunger. Those who did not harvest enough grain in the previous season will be the first to be allocated grain and most of them are in the drought-prone areas.

Most provinces have a surplus except for Matabeleland North which has a deficit of 3 995 tonnes and Matabeleland South which has a deficit of 1 931 tonnes.

According to the 2023 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVac) report, the number of food insecure people in Zimbabwe for 2023/2024 consumption decreased to 26 percent from 38 percent. 

Therefore, during the peak hunger period, which is January-March, about 2,7 million people will need food assistance compared to 3,8 million from the previous year.

Government recently announced that vulnerable and food-insecure households will have access to grain as the Second Republic fights against hunger across the country.

Government is implementing several programmes to enhance food security at household and national level including the widely acclaimed climate-smart agriculture model, commonly referred to as Pfumvudza/Intwasa which was started during the 2020/2021 summer cropping season

In addition, the Government has included sunflower seed among the inputs given to farmers as it seeks to substitute imports of sunflower oil.

 Government is also constructing several dams to provide water for irrigation to avoid relying on rain-fed agriculture.

The new water bodies, some of which have already been completed, are expected to enhance food security by providing water for irrigation and fish farming.

Government expects to open up at least 50 000 hectares of land per year under its accelerated irrigation development programme. 

Speaking yesterday during a meeting of permanent secretaries for devolution and provincial affairs and officials from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in Makhado, Beitbridge district, GMB northern regional manager, Mr Felton Kamambo said the national reserves were sitting at 198 923 tonnes while the Department of Social Welfare requires 71 569 tonnes for the next three months.

“As you can see from the figures of the SGR stock we have enough grain to take us to the next harvest. We have a surplus for our social welfare requirements which is a positive development for us as a country,” he said.

“If as a country we consider these coming three months then we have a grain surplus of 127 354 tonnes.”

Mr Kamambo said GMB has been trying to clear payments to farmers for delivered grain. 

“We received 211 498 tonnes which is valued at $168 billion and US$66 million and this covers wheat, maize, traditional grains, soya beans and sunflower. We have managed to pay $156 billion and US$27 million, leaving us with an outstanding payment of $12 billion and US$39 million,” he said.

The national stocks as of February 13 were sitting at 152 459 tonnes of maize, 45 366 tonnes of traditional grains and 246 738 tonnes of wheat. 

Bulawayo has 21 390 tonnes of maize and traditional grains and 5 516 tonnes of wheat while Matabeleland North has 5 549 tonnes of maize and traditional grain and 44 tonnes of wheat.

Matabeleland South has 2 878 tonnes of maize and traditional grain and 462 tonnes of wheat while the Midlands has 15 178 tonnes of maize and traditional grain and 3 166 tonnes of wheat. Masvingo has 26 299 tonnes of maize and traditional grains and 3 126 tonnes of wheat.

Harare has 7 769 tonnes of maize and traditional grains and 29 388 tonnes of wheat. Mashonaland West has 40 474 tonnes of maize and traditional grains and 129 363 tonnes of wheat. Mashonaland Central has 21 880 tonnes of maize and traditional grains and 44 719 tonnes of wheat. Mashonaland East has 27 486 tonnes of maize and traditional grains and 18 842 tonnes of  wheat.

“The grain deliveries have slightly dropped this year compared to what we had received by this time last year. As at 12 February last year we had received 373 tonnes of grain while this time we received 211 tonnes and this includes maize, wheat, traditional grains, sunflower and soya beans,” said Mr Kamambo.

“In terms of sunflower and soya beans, we recorded an increase this year because last year for sunflower we had received 438 tonnes compared to this year’s 5 732 tonnes. For soya beans last year by this time we had received 1 085 tonnes compared to this year’s 7 609 tonnes.”