Back to Index

Community Assessment of the Food Situation in Zimbabwe June/July 2002: FULL REPORT
National NGO Food Security Network (FOSENET)
October 12, 2002

Back to Contents, Previous Page, Next Page

Food availability

Almost all districts were reported to produce maize in normal years, and a further 19 districts were reported to produce other grains. This information will be followed up in future monitoring of seed access.

Household food stocks were reported to be extremely low, although variable across provinces. The table and bar chart below indicates the reports from monitors of the share of households with no food stocks, and food stocks estimated to last for less than and more than one month.

All areas are food insecure with stocks of less than one month. The reports suggest three levels of severity however: Mashonaland Central and East with the greater level household food stocks; Masvingo, Midlands and Manicaland with less food stocks and Matabeleland North and South in the most severe situation.

Table: Reported Household food stocks by province

(Mash West did not have sufficient districts for this)

(Mash West did not have sufficient districts for this)

These findings compare with those produced by the USAID Famine Early Warning System Network (22 Jun 2002) giving some confidence in the reports.

As shown from the table above, this pattern held generally for availability of a number of food types with some variability. Generally food availability was reported to be best in Mashonaland East and worst in Matabeleland North and south. In respect of maize Masvingo, Matabeleland South and Mashonaland Central reported lowest availability.

GMB Deliveries
One of the most important sources of food is maize coming from GMB.

‘The GMB is failing to supply’ ‘The GMB is not delivering food anymore’ were common reports. When made they imply significant food insecurity in a district.

GMB deliveries are reported to be made to communities or obtained through the depots. GMB deliveries were reported to be infrequent and inadequate, with an average of 0,8 deliveries in the wards monitored per district in the month. (The July FOSENET report found an average of 1,5 deliveries in the wards covered by constituency in the past month). There was variability in the frequency of deliveries, with a range of 0-5 GMB deliveries within the month in the same site. The reported reduction in GMB deliveries in August – September compared to July 2002 needs to be further investigated.

It would be useful to have a more objective periodic report by the GMB of its pattern of deliveries across the country to parliament and the public.

The following districts were reported to have wards that had not received any grain deliveries in the period reviewed.

The amounts delivered also varied, with Mashonaland East having the greatest average tonnage reported delivered and Matabeleland South the least. Notably the price range in Mat South was also high, with the greatest price reported of Z$190/10kg.

While the bottom level price of GMB sales was constant at the control price of Z$110/10kg, the upper ranges on varied up to Z$190/10kg or 73% above the control price.

Table: Reported frequency, amounts and costs of GMB maize

The average tonnes per sentinel area was calculated as an average of the reported amounts delivered by province.

Market supplies
As noted earlier formal and informal market supplies are patchy with less than 50% of districts covered reporting maize availability and supply of bread and oil also at low levels. Sugar availability appears to have improved somewhat since the last round of monitoring, but not in Masvingo or Matabeleland. The cost of both formal and informal market foods has already been noted in the previous FOSENET monitoring report to be prohibitive. The table below indicates prices reported for each source per 10kg/ Maize.

Table: Reported frequency, amounts and costs of GMB maize

(Mash West did not have sufficient districts for this)

The average tonnes per sentinel area was calculated as an average of the reported amounts delivered by province.

The range of market prices are wide. The worst inflation on prices (over ten times the control price) is found in the area of greatest scarcity of both household stocks and GMB deliveries: Matabeleland South. There is less price distortion in areas where food stocks are higher and GMB food more available (Mashonaland East and Central).

Control of speculation on food prices is not succeeding. It would seem from these reports that informal speculation thrives in an environment where is the lack of choice due to lack of household stores, weak deliveries of controlled price food and no formal market sales. The similarities in upper limits between neighbouring provinces signals that people are moving across provinces to buy food.

Costs of up to $1200 per 10 kg of maize are beyond the means of poor households. What assets sales or sacrifices are people making to deal with such prices?

‘Two families nowadays share a 50kg bag and can only buy again after 2 months’ (Mutare rural)

Relief Deliveries
The areas reporting relief activities were:

These programmes are generally reported to target children under 5 years (in 67% of cited programmes), schoolchildren grade 1-7 (67%); pregnant women (7%), the elderly (19%), orphans (19%), patients (15%) disabled people (7%) and households (25%).

There is some degree of poor match between the targets of relief and the groups identified as vulnerable (See figure below). People with disabilities and the elderly seem to be relatively less well covered by relief.

Cash for work was reported to be operating in all districts monitored except Mwenezi. In only 12 districts did it operate as food, with cash, for work. The amounts earned ranged from Z$100/week to Z$750/week with relatively large variations within provinces.

The reports indicate that the payment rates in the cash for work programme are not applied in a standardised manner.

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP