Zimbabwe to distribute maize to 2.7 mln food insecure citizens

By Xinhua

HARARE: The Zimbabwean government will distribute 71,000 metric tons of maize to about 2.7 million people who are food insecure, state media reported Friday.

The country is dealing with erratic rains caused by the El Nino phenomenon this planting season, which have resulted in farmers’ late planting.

Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo said that the government had set aside maize from its grain reserves which would be distributed during the lean period between January and March, according to news agency New Ziana.

Moyo said that the study done in 2023 by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee had shown that 2.7 percent of the population were food insecure.

He added that most of the country’s 60 districts would be covered by the government program while four would be catered for by development partners such as the World Food Program.

The current planting season started on a bad note as the rains came late. Some of the farmers who planted with the first rains had to replant after a dry spell killed their crops.