Fears are growing in Zimbabwe that the country will experience a poor 2022 harvest season due to erratic rains and a prolonged dry spell.
As a result, Zimbabwe’s vice-president retired Constantino Chiwenga has said the government wasas a poor harvest was expected.
In 2021, Zimbabwe stopped importing grain after it recorded a good harvest in years due to good rains and the government supporting the majority of farmers with agricultural inputs.
“We are facing looming hunger, while we planted like every year, the current dry spell has left our maize crop beyond repair in most of our districts,” he said.
Also read: Celebrating international women’s month through resilience building in Zimbabwe
“We are appealing that you take this message to the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) that we need the government to chip in to rescue the masses from possible starvation,” said Chiwenga.
“This dry and lean season is not only in Manicaland province but will also affect our national yield from anticipated bumper harvest, but I want to assure you that as a government we have plans in place to ensure that families are well fed on the ground.
“We are mobilising that we get supplements across all provinces and assist everyone to access food. No one is going to starve in this country,” he added.
Zimbabwe also faces uncertain agriculture during the 2022/23 agricultural season as supplies of the ammonium nitrate fertiliser is not guaranteed as the primary supplier Russia has ring-fenced its products to protect local farmers in the fallout of the Ukraine invasion.
