According to Zimbabwe’s Food Security Outlook to March 2025, at least 6.2 million people living in rural areas will require food assistance, with nearly 465,000 metric tonnes of grain needed.
This was said by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Anxious Masuka.
The Minister also revealed that Zimbabwe’s Strategic Grain Reserve currently holds 264,246 metric tonnes of grain, excluding an additional 32,314 metric tonnes imported by the government. Said Masuka:
<blockquote>
The country’s food balance sheet to March 2025 indicates that 6.2 million rural residents will need assistance.
Considering the requirements of the rural population until March 2025 and the school feeding program until April 2025, the maximum amount of grain required is 464,608.54 metric tonnes.
Current stocks in the Strategic Grain Reserve, which include wheat, maize, and traditional grains, stand at 264,246 metric tonnes, excluding 32,314 metric tonnes imported by the Government to date.
</blockquote>
Masuka announced that the 200,362.54 metric tonne shortfall will be addressed through surplus from the winter wheat harvest and additional government grain imports, estimated at 300,000 metric tonnes.
He also said the government will accelerate depot-to-depot grain movement from August to October 2024.
The private sector is expected to import all stock-feed requirements, totalling 400,000 metric tonnes, and urban maize requirements of up to 450,000 metric tonnes by March 2025.
To date, 567,160 metric tonnes have been imported. Import permits for 1.8 million metric tonnes of maize are currently active, Masuka added.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Over 6.2 million people in rural Zimbabwe need food aid because they don't have enough to eat. The government says they need almost 465,000 metric tonnes of grain to help them. The government already has some grain in reserve, but they will need to import more to meet the needs of the people. The government will also work with the private sector to make sure there is enough food for everyone. They are planning to bring in more grain and make sure it gets to where it's needed. They want to make sure everyone has enough to eat until March 2025.

Over 6.2 Million Rural Zimbabweans Require Food Aid, Says Government

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian organisation, and the government of Zimbabwe have jointly launched a roadmap towards achieving food security in Zimbabwe. This formal collaboration, as formalised through a Letter of Understanding (LoU), aims to enhance food systems and reform the Social Protection System in Zimbabwe.
The LoU serves the purpose of strengthening emergency response capabilities and promoting investment in agricultural entrepreneurship. By leveraging their respective expertise and resources, the Government of Zimbabwe and WFP seek to expedite sustainable solutions for food security, while concurrently strengthening Zimbabwe’s national social protection systems.
The partnership also encompasses proactive support for rural and urban livelihoods through the anticipation of future needs, improved data collection and analysis, and the enhancement of livelihood opportunities. Through these measures, the Government of Zimbabwe and WFP aspire to establish a more resilient and sustainable food system that benefits the people of Zimbabwe.
Mr. Simon Masanga, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, emphasized that the LoU aims to reinforce ongoing efforts and ensure accountability towards the people being served. Masanga said:
<blockquote>
This Letter of Understanding is a way to strengthen the already ongoing work and to ensure that both Government and WFP are accountable to the people they serve. We hope this mutual commitment will ensure that common objectives are fulfilled.
</blockquote>
WFP’s strategic plan for Zimbabwe aligns with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 1 and global commitments to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). WFP will collaborate with Zimbabwean authorities and civil society to strategize, allocate resources, and make decisions that contribute to the achievement of Zero Hunger.
Francesca Erdelmann, WFP’s Country Director in Zimbabwe, characterized WFP’s strategic plan as a means to support Zimbabweans in pursuing their dreams and aspirations, in line with the spirit of SDG17 “partnering for the SDGs.” Eradelmann said:
<blockquote>
WFP’s new strategic plan represents our contribution to the achievement of the National Development Strategy 1 and our commitment to harness the energies of Zimbabweans to pursue their dreams and aspirations. Together, in the spirit of SDG17 ‘partnering for the SDGs’, we can realize an equitable and sustainable future for our food systems to ensure that every person in Zimbabwe has access to and consumes sufficient, diverse, and nutritious food at all times.
</blockquote>
The collaboration also emphasises the importance of partnerships in saving and transforming lives. Key aspects of this collaboration include empowering women economically, fostering social cohesion, and engaging young people in pursuing economic opportunities within the food value chains. Additional priorities encompass promoting nutritious diets and employing digital technologies to connect national strategies with localized actions.
WFP commits to forging new partnerships and maximizing the potential of existing ones, including collaborations with other United Nations agencies, international donors, civil society organizations, academia, and the private sector. In light of the unprecedented global needs, the UN Food Agency strives to ensure consistent access to food for all Zimbabweans, enabling them to lead active and healthy lives and leaving no one behind.
<h3><a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h3>

Zimbabwe, WFP Launch Roadmap Toward Food Security

Vice President Kembo Mohadi told Zanu-PF supporters that Zimbabwe has grain reserves to feed the nation for seven months.
He urged the nation not to panic over the dry 2018-2019 agricultural season. He said this at a rally in Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo on Friday to garner support for Kidwell Mujuru, Zanu-PF’s candidate in the ward 30 by election set for March 30. He also said the 500 tonnes will be enough to take Zimbabwe to the next rainy season. Said Mohadi:
<blockquote>This year is a difficult one for us due to little rains received in most parts of the country but please don’t panic. I want to assure you that the new dispensation will make sure that nobody starves. As the leadership, we’re servants of the people and we’ll make sure that every family in the country has food. We have enough food in our strategic grain reserves. We have 500 tonnes of maize, which will last seven months and this is enough to take us to the next season.</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/vp-mohadi-assures-nation-on-food-security/">Chronicle</a>

Zimbabwe Has Grain For The Next 7 Months- Mohadi

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister <a href="http://www.pindula.co.zw/Joseph_Made">Joseph Made</a>, said the Grain Marketing Board depots have more than 320 000 tonnes of maize for the Strategic Grain Reserves (SGR). He also said there was also 65 000 tonnes of wheat in reserves including a balance from last year.
He said the amount of maize and wheat in the SGR excluded the grain imported by private millers.
Minister Made said Government was paying maize farmers within a short period of time so that they could use the money to buy farming inputs. He said the tobacco industry had an organised marketing system where farmers received their money soon after selling and said Government was working on ensuring the same process was applied to maize.
More: <a href="http://www.herald.co.zw/320-000t-maize-in-reserves-made/">Herald</a>

Food Aid Latest News

Latest Jobs