Posted on 09/08/2001 1:08:04 PM PDT by Clive
THE Strategic Grain Reserve, which is administered by the Grain Marketing Board, currently has 300,000 tonnes of maize, 200,000 tonnes short of the required amount.
Zimbabwe has an annual consumption of 1.24 million tonnes of maize and the available grain is not sufficient to meet the needs of the country.
Despite Agriculture minister Joseph Made's dismissal of experts’ warnings of imminent food shortages, the country needs to import at least 750,000 tonnes of cereals to avert a self-made disaster.
The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) regional early warning unit has said Zimbabwe, the former bread-basket of the region, must begin maize and wheat imports now to meet a forecast 743,000 tonne deficit next March.
The unit's food security projections for the 2001/2002 marketing year indicate deficits of 593,000 tonnes for maize (including a minimum of 500,000 tonnes for strategic maize reserves) and 150,000 tonnes for wheat.
“These deficits have to be covered through imports to avoid food shortages in the coming months,” the unit reported.
The country has to fork out about $8 billion (US$90 million) (at the official exchange rate of $55:US$1) for both maize and wheat imports.
Realising the severity of the impending food shortage, government has re-introduced the Grain Marketing Board’s monopoly on the internal buying and selling of maize and wheat.
This was followed last week with a further hike in the producer and selling prices for maize from $7,500 to $8,500 and $9,600 per tonne respectively.
Made last week denied that the country required about 600,000 tonnes of maize, saying only 93,000 tonnes were required to take the country to the next season.
However, Finance minister, Simba Makoni admitted in parliament that reserves had “practically run out”. Food experts say the country should start importing maize from South Africa now to replenish its depleted reserves.
Experts said the South African railway system could not cope with than 30,000 to 40,000-tonne shipments of grain a month to Zimbabwe. Imports had to commence immediately to avert a crisis.
“In addition, maize imports should begin while the country has some foreign exchange and while the commodity is still available in the country,” said one expert.
This week millers said production capacity had already been affected by a reduced allocation of wheat to their various milling sections across the country in anticipation of a wheat shortfall this season.
Industry sources said Blue Ribbon Foods would be reviewing its production this week while National Foods officials said they would do so next this week.
The early warning unit forecast a 150,000 tonne deficit of wheat.
“Crop production in the southern areas (of Zimbabwe) was hampered by a mid-season dry spell while isolated flooding affected the southern districts.”
Wheat production in 2000 amounted to 250,000 tonnes, a 17% fall that resulted in an increase in import requirements and a rise in the price of flour and consequently, bakery products.
Production in the current season has been further reduced by the disruption of farming activities by the war veterans who have invaded commercial farms in a government-sanctioned land redistribution exercise.
Analysts said bread prices could only be expected to rise, and with the recent legislation making wheat a controlled product, millers had to take short positions. Wheat prices have increased from $7,700 a tonne in January 2000 to $23,000 a tonne in May.
Exporters were ordered to hand over 60% of their earnings to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe at the official rate of Zimbabwe $55 to US$1, while the thriving parallel market makes transactions of US$1 to over $400.
El Niño will return this year with adverse consequences to Zim agriculture.
Commercial Farmers Union Farm Invasion Reports indicate that farmers are being prevented by invaders and District Administrators from spring planting
Zim is landlocked, so all bulk foods must be carried by rail.
There is a foot-and-mouth outbreak in Zim and the "veterans" are moving cattle around the country without regard to movement restrictions necessitated by the outbreak.
Deliberately set veldt fires are interfering with cattle grazing such that the farmers must use harvested maize to feed the cattle.
Cattle have been let loose by invaders into standing crops.
Why would any farmer plant anything and bear the costs of planting and tending the crop when he can confidently expect that the crop will be destroyed by invaders or confiscated by government?
who knew? =o)
What derned fool would sign his name to an article that slaps the policies of the dictator???
Yes, this paper is publishing in spite of the odds.
Last April, a bomb was planted immediately under the office of the political editor.
In January, the paper's printing plant was bombed.
The journalists and editors are frequently arrested and re-arrested on trumped up charges, including charges unders a statute passed by the former Rhodesian government in its effort to control dissent, which statute has been ruled as unconstitutional.
Yet it keeps on publishing stories and columns highly critical of the government.
LA Watts riots burn stores and homes. People go hungry and are homeless.
Zimbabwe thugs burn farms and crops. People go hungry and are homeless.
Is there a connection here?
blame dee honkies! =o)
Mugabe will go hat in hand to the UN and plead famine, and the rest of the world will pay his bills.
I suspect that unlike Reverend Al, Roberto Muthuggee won't be missing any meals.
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