FOOD SECURITY AND EARLY WARNING BRIEF
The Zimbabwean government normally carries out crop assessments in January and March/ April. These give indications of the forecasted crop production. The first assessment was carried out in January but the results have not yet been publicized. In a bid to be proactive Christian Care through its regional offices carried out rapid assessments in its operational districts. The main purpose of the rapid assessments was to forecast the food production thereby providing an indication of the food security situation in the 2008-9 consumption year.
Christian Care was implementing food aid programmes in nine districts of Zimbabwe namely Chimanimani, Chipinge, Mbire, Centenery, Gutu, Mwenezi, Nkayi, Lupane and Harare Metropolitan. The programmes were supported by World Food Programme, Canadian Foodgrains Bank and ACT International. They were designed to respond to food shortages that had ensued as a result of drought conditions which were experienced in the 2006/7 agricultural season. The programmes ended in March and April as it had been envisaged that by then the communities would have harvested their food crops. Furthermore the Department of Meteorological Services had forecasted a normal to above normal rainfall season and the government had declared the season to be the mother of all agricultural seasons.
Contrary to the expectation by many stakeholders, the season is already showing evidence of crop failure. Heavy incessant rains which started about the second week of December were experienced throughout the country. Rainfall continued into January and it caused heavy flooding in upper Centenery (Muzarabani), Chipinge and Tsholotsho districts in December and January.
According to the World Food Programme’s Food Security and Early Warning brief for January and February the country had received rainfall amounts ranging between 500mm and 800mm. The same report indicates that there was a shortage of inputs specifically seed and fertilizer throughout the country. The heavy rains resulted in excessive leaching of nutrients and that combined with lack of ammonium nitrate fertilizer gave rise to poor condition of crops. The maize crop exhibited signs of nitrogen deficiency which made them appear yellow and stunted in growth.
As a result of incessant rains, people were still planting and replanting in January.
Some areas were water logged to an extent that the crops have dried up. Weeds became a problem as both mechanical and chemical weed control was impossible due to rains. Reduced areas were planted maize because soils were difficult to work on and also sowing was difficult and crops died before reaching reproductive stage. Roads, bridges and homes were also damaged by these heavy down pours.
The heavy flooding was followed by a very long mid season dry spell which started in February. In most parts of the country the scorching sun came as a heavy blow to crops that were already in bad condition. Crops started to wilt and some got scorched to an extent of drying with no hope of recovery. The maize crop was the worst affected. The dry spell is also going to affect the expected yields by almost 80%, according to AREX officials. It is also hoped that if no meaningful rains are not received soon, some of the small grains will also not recover even if rains are later received. for more click here....
