Govt to distribute 600 000 tonnes of grain

LIVINGSTONE MARUFU

 

The government is planning to distribute 600,000 tonnes of grain nationwide in order to shield the people from the extreme hunger brought on by the devastating El Nino phenomena.

The government’s database shows that 7.7 million people—six million in rural and 1.7 million in urban areas—are food insecure as a result of the severe drought that has reduced grain output.

The development was disclosed by Professor Obert Jiri, the permanent secretary in the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Ministry.

“We have a plan which ensures no one goes hungry. In October we will deliver around 600 000 of grain to various areas.” We have a programmatic approach to ensure we have a plan for ensuring no one starves. We have the appeals from the international development partners,” Professor Jiri said.

He said the United Nations  has already promised to help  on logistics of moving food and they have started approaching their donors.

“As the government we have started to import as a stop gap measure to import 300 000 metric tonnes which will come through into the pot of the government. Private sector is importing one million  for  livestock and human consumption,” he said.

The development comes as more than 1.6m vulnerable people in rural areas have  started receiving the standard grain rations of food aid and these people  are among the six million who are expected to benefit from the  food aid programmes.

The feeding of the rural folk coincides with the feeding of  1.7m  vulnerable urban dwellers who will get US$8 a month to buy a mealie meal.

Tertiary institutions will also be fed under the same scheme.

Government is prioritising the worst affected areas and the households that were hard to reach and under the rural programme, each beneficiary gets a three-month allocation of grain in a single delivery.

The monthly ration is 7.5kg per person, translating to 22.5kg per person for three months, therefore,  a family of five will receive 112.5kg for the three months.

The  authorities  will increase the monthly ration   to 8.5kg per person in October and that will be for both the last three months of the year and first three months of next year.

Government will increase the three-month rations to 25.5kg a person, with that same family of five getting 127.5kg.

According to the  Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister July Moyo,  the first phase started in May and statistics indicate that 36 585 tonnes have been distributed across the eight rural provinces to 1 630 448 people.

He said distribution of grain is still ongoing in the rural areas with the intention to ensure that the six million people, who are vulnerable, will not starve.

 

 

Related