Matabeleland provinces to be declared disaster areas

CABINET has resolved to declare the Matabeleland provinces, Manicaland, Masvingo and Midlands provinces hit by drought national disaster areas, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said yesterday.

The PM made the remarks at Maglas Stadium during commemorations to mark World Health Day.

Zimbabwe is facing a food deficit of almost one million tonnes as a result of poor rains experienced this farming season.

"There are problems here in Zvishavane. The first one being food shortages," said PM Tsvangirai.

"As I was coming here, I noticed along the way that there are food challenges. Government yesterday in Cabinet resolved to declare certain provinces disaster areas.

"These are Manicaland, Masvingo, Midlands, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South."

PM Tsvangirai said Government will ensure that no person starved.

"We want people to have food so that  they do not die of hunger," he said.

"We have food in the strategic grain reserves and what is left is for it to be ferried to those areas (which experienced drought)."

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made on Thursday said Zimbabwe will suffer food shortages as a result of drought.

"Forty five percent of maize that was planted this season is a write-off," said Minister Made.

He said the country had 600 000 tonnes of maize in stocks but these needed to be complemented by imports.

The country consumes 2,2 million tonnes of maize annually.

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