Zimbabwe's Food Insecurity Down To 27 Pct After Bumper Harvest: Minister

Food insecurity in Zimbabwe fell to 27 percent this year from 56 percent last year, following a bumper harvest in 2021, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Tuesda

HARARE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Jun, 2021 ) :Food insecurity in Zimbabwe fell to 27 percent this year from 56 percent last year, following a bumper harvest in 2021, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Tuesday.

The percentage translates into around 2.9 million rural individuals requiring 262,856 metric tonnes of cereal, Mutsvangwa told a post-cabinet media briefing, citing the 2021 Rural Livelihoods Assessment Report produced by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZIMVAC).

The drastic fall reflected the government's determined efforts to fight hunger and ensure a food surplus economy, she said.

Zimbabwe is expecting to produce about 2.8 million tonnes of maize this year, a record output in more than a decade, against annual national consumption of 1.

8 million tonnes.

"A targeted movement of food from surplus areas to vulnerable areas will be undertaken since the country is generally expecting 828,263 metric tonnes of cereal surplus, according to the 2021 Second Round Crop Assessment Report," Mutsvangwa said.

According to the ZIMVAC report, nutrition has also improved across the country, with 99 percent of people not experiencing food insufficiency, she said.

The government is ready to provide the required support for those urban dwellers who may experience food insufficiency, she said.

"Development partners and donor agencies are encouraged to procure food from inside the country as imports will not be necessary," she added.