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Government
to appeal for food aid
Radio VOP
May 29, 2009
http://www.radiovop.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6389&Itemid=171
The government
has appealed to the United Nations (UN) to provide USD7 million
dollars of food aid to avert widespread hunger as the country's
grain silos remain empty, a senior government official said.
In a consolidated appeal
to be launched on Monday in the capital, the government together
with the UN will launch a programme to source for funds to avert
widespread hunger following another failed harvest.
"A food
appeal programme with the United Nations will be officially launched
on Monday at Meikles hotel to source for about USD7 million dollars
for food to avert hunger," a senior government official said
Thursday.
The Minister of Finance,
Tendai Biti announced in March that the country needs to import
500 000 tonnes of maize to cover this year's shortfall after farmers
failed to meet the country's requirement of 2,2
million tonnes.
Farmers are expected
to harvest 1,5 million tonnes of maize as the government has already
provided USd2 million dollars to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB)
to secure the required strategic reserve of 500 000 tonnes.
Biti also announced that
his ministry is working with three banks to source USd70 million
dollars to beef up the country's food stores.
To prevent the country
from running out of maize, government announced this year that only
the GMB would be allowed to export maize products.
However, government allowed
private millers to buy maize from farmers.
Zimbabwe agriculture
sector has been down since the country embarked on the much criticized
land reform programme, removing experienced farmers to settle landless
blacks.
Despite the government
providing the bulk of inputs to newly resettled farmers, most of
the inputs, which include seed, fertilizer and fuel, were sold on
the black market.
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