Zimbabwe must act now on food situation

Zimbabwe must act now on food situation

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By Renson Gasela

ONE of the reasons why in Zanu PF those who aspire to be members of parliament will invest so much money, materials, time etc campaigning, is the hope of appointment as a minister.

Once you become a minister, you don’t have to work; you don’t have to know anything at all. You continue to be rewarded for malfeasance, misfeasance or even nonfeasance. You are assured of a permanent career as minister and also a place at heroes acre when God, in His divine impartiality, decides to call you above.

How does President Mugabe justify keeping ministers who fail and are corrupt and he admits they are but keeps them? My friend the Minister of Agriculture Hon Made has perennially misled the country for the past six years. I say misled the country because Zanu Pf knows the truth and approve of the misleading.

In a statement I gave on the 9th of March 2006 concerning maize production, I said that at best, maize production this year was going to be 800 000 tonnes. I gave reasons why it was going to be so. I need not repeat reasons.

In May, 2006, Minister Made announced that the crop forecast was that 1.8million tonnes of maize would be produced this year. He strangely went on to say that although this was sufficient for the country, imports of maize would continue. Of that production, GMB was likely to get 900 000 tonnes, as farmers normally retain 50% for their own use.

A production of 1.8m tonnes would be enough for the country without the strategic reserve. But we know that other experts were refused to participate in the crop assessment exercise so that the country can be properly misled.

GMB’s financial year is April to March. This means that maize delivered within that period is accounted for as intake for that year. However, farmers deliver their maize from May to early October, depending on the lateness of the season. The peak delivery is July to early August.

The Acting CEO of GMB, Col Muvuti, is quoted in the Herald of 10th July, 2006 that 80 000 tonnes of maize had been delivered, naturally, this figure includes the first week of July.

The Sunday Mirror of 16th July says “Earlier during Saturday’s meeting, Agriculture minister Joseph Made had revealed that to date there are 100 000 metric tonnes of maize that have been brought into the silos, with the GMB receiving 20 000 metric tonnes of maize from farmers every week. Made pointed out that there is also a fair supply of crops such as millet, sorghum and groundnuts, a sign that there was a good harvest last season” (am sure meaning this season). This was a report to the Zanu PF consultative assembly.

Minister Made naturally got latest figures from GMB for the meeting. If by 15th July a paltry 100 000 metric tonnes of maize had been bought by GMB, how much more will be bought by GMB before end of deliveries? For all intents and purposes, all maize that farmers want to sell will be delivered by end of September, whatever comes after that is inconsequential, quantity wise.

There is 10 weeks between now and end of September. Even if we were to be generous and say that weekly deliveries will continue at the current peak of 20 000 tonnes up to the end of September, that will only bring in 200 000 tonnes, making a total of 300 000 tonnes. This means a huge shortage of maize. The delivery trend so far should make a caring government worried. It should trigger food appeal to avert another disaster in the midst of a good rainfall season!

Because my estimate of 20 000 tonnes per week is for the whole period of 10 weeks, in reality, the intake will be much less.

What this means is that there is no production of 1.8 million tonnes of maize. That is why the government is mum on the Financial Gazette article that Z$15 trillion is required for grain imports (Fingaz 13 – 19 July 2006).

The MDC appeals to the government to have mercy and feeling for the people by approaching the donors in time. I know that there are continued food imports but US$35m is too much in addition to the current imports, hence my appeal to the government to act now. Why wait until the crisis hits the country and then panic when the signs are so clear?

Equally, we are asking the donors to start sensitizing their governments.

Why can’t it be done right for once?

Renson Gasela is the MDC Secretary for Lands and Agriculture
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