(HERALD) One million households to get inputs

One million households to get inputs
Herald Reporter

A million smallholder families, almost two-thirds of all rural households, will be assisted with essential inputs by donors and the Government in the coming farming season.

The final target, and the size of the seed and fertilizer packs, was worked out at a meeting between the Government and the donor community in Harare last week. The total cost will be around US$106 million with at least 80 percent of the funds coming from donors.

Non-governmental organisations have already received US$74 million from the donor community set to benefit an estimated 630 000 and have set a target of 800 000 for the number of families they will help.

The Government has committed itself to helping another 200 000.

According to sources, the rationale of selecting one million households to help is based on an estimate of 1,534 million rural households in Zimbabwe.

In round figures, it is estimated that 300 000 households are chronically poor and another 700 000 are transitorily poor; that is, they could normally manage but have suffered shock from the economic crisis the country is emerging from and can no longer afford to buy inputs.

"If such farmers are assisted this year, they will be able to stand on their own in the coming season otherwise they will fall into the group of the chronically poor," the source said.

It is assumed the balance of 534 000 households are self-sufficient and will be able to buy their own inputs.

"Government, through the Office of the Prime Minister, will engage the donor community and make a final call for an estimated US$32,1 million to support the 370 000 households to achieve the one million target," said the source.

NGOs are said to have started procuring inputs in February and distribution to beneficiaries would begin next month.

"If more resources are to come from donors, NGOs have indicated that they will not be able to handle the procurement logistics given the short time left between now and the cut-off date for input distribution, which is October 20," the source added.

The source said Government was expected to "put a case to the donor community for support of 370 000 households that will be done through a Public Works Programme".

During the meeting, Government agreed to adjust its input pack for Region 2 from 150kg Compound D to 100kg being used by NGOs.

The distribution would be done under the inputs for work programme and communities would determine the development projects.

There would be free distribution to households which the NGOs would have identified as chronically poor.

"It was agreed that in the next coming season (2010-2011), distribution of inputs would be solely inputs for work," the source said.

The meeting recommended that since significant amounts of inputs were now in the country, there was need to set up committees to ensure successful distribution before the beginning of the rainy season.

The proposed committees are Planning Working Party, Logistics Working Party, Implementation Working Party and Information, Education and Communication Working Party.

No official comment could be obtained from the Government yesterday.