(HERALD) 50 000t maize set aside for drought relief

Thursday, July 21, 2011

(HERALD) 50 000t maize set aside for drought relief

50 000t maize set aside for drought relief
Thursday, 21 July 2011 02:00
Herald Reporter

GOVERNMENT has released 50 000 tonnes of maize for free distribution to the poor as part of measures to avert hunger in rural areas. Selected families will get US$10 each for mi-lling in the programme that will be co-ordina-ted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfa-re.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development released the maize recently, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Paurina Mpariwa confirmed.

Responding to questions in the House of Assembly, Minister Mpariwa said Government had come up with a cocktail of measures to avert hunger in rural areas.

Musikavanhu legislator Mr Prosper Mutseyami (MDC-T) wanted to know Governme-nt's plans with regards to drought relief.

"There are people who cannot perform any duty in terms of public works or food for work programmes like the elderly, the sick, the vulnerable, female and child-headed households.

"Government plans to support 164 324 hou-seholds per month through this programme. Benefiting households will be given vouchers to purchase grain from GMB at ward distribution points and an additional US$10 cash to meet other requirements such as milling and cooking oil. As I speak, GMB has actually mo-ved grain from surplus areas to drought-prone areas," she said.

Minister Mpariwa said her ministry was waiting for the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Asse-ssment Committee to confirm the number of people in need of assistance.

She said the figures will rise considering that when the survey was conducted, other people were still harvesting. Minister Mpariwa said for those who can offer labour, their communities would identify what public works could be done and be paid for their service.

"Benefiting households will be required to work on community projects for a 15-day wor-king month and receive US$20. A cumulative total of 270 998 households will be supported through this component at the peak of food insecurity, that is between January and March 2012

"What we have said is that GMB should move the grain from GMB depots to the communities, so that when people get their money, they will buy the maize. As Government, we promote people to rely on their activities and not to be spoon fed.

"It is the Government's responsibility to feed its people. We cannot leave our people (to) die of hunger," Minister Mpariwa said.

She said they expected donors to meet 50 percent of the food requirements.

Minister Mpariwa said Treasury was also chipping in with a food deficit mitigation programme through the 2011 budget allocation.

"Already, Treasury has released US$600 000 to support the programme. The first batch of 18 districts with 42 280 households will be supported this month. More resources have been promised by Treasury towards the end of this month," she said.

Minister Mpariwa said Government would give monthly cash allowances for free to the poorest under the harmonised social cash transfers programmes.

"This programme was designed to support the poorest 10 percent of the population with a monthly cash allowance. These households will receive between US$15 and US$25 per month depending on the size of the household.

"For 2011, the programme is targeted at assisting 24 000 households in 10 poorest districts as identified by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee as well as the 2010 Nutrition Survey among other data sources," she said.

Minister Mpariwa said the programme would be expanded to reach 250 000 households countrywide by 2015.

She said Treasury has allocated US$6 million while donors had pledged to provide another US$6 million.

Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS (ZIMBABWE), MAIZE, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE MECHANISATION AND IRRIGATION (ZIMBABWE)