(TALKZIMBABWE) Too early to say harvest has failed: Made

Too early to say harvest has failed: Made
By: Ralph Mutema
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010 8:54 pm

THE Zimbabwean government says it is still too early to conclude that this year's harvest has failed and figures released on the country's food situation are not realistic.

"It is too early to conclude that the harvest has failed, as the farming season is not yet over," said Agriculture Minister Joseph Made at the weekend.

Made blames western sanctions for the collapse of irrigation infrastructure on small-scale farms, and says that has impacted on the ability of the country to produce food.

"Those communities where the British and Americans have pretended that the sanctions have no impact – that is where the sanctions have an impact and indeed when the prime minister was visiting around he saw the state of irrigation schemes and they are only in that state because of the sanctions," says Made.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai made a tour of the countryside a few weeks ago, and declared the situation "catastrophic".

The prime minister has, however, failed to link western sanctions, which his MDC-T party took part in drafting, to the breakdown in agricultural infrastructure.

After years of denying the existence of sanctions, PM Tsvangirai admitted a few weeks ago that the illegal and ruinous sanctions were impeding development in Zimbabwe.

The Red Cross says while $33 million is needed for emergency food assistance, donors have only pledged $7 million.