Food crisis looms

Only three silo depots out of the 12 Grain Marketing Board storage facilities countrywide are functional raising fears of a food crisis,  a top government official has said.

Ministry of Agriculture Mechanisation and Irrigation Development permanent secretary Ringson Chitsiko told a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture and Mechanisation Parliamentary Portfolio Committee that a  food disaster is looming.

"We have 12 silos, but only three are intact.

"One of the largest silos is in Bulawayo, but has had problems because of the current rains.

"GMB has already gone to tender to find companies that can refurbish the silos before farmers start harvesting" he said.

Farmers were expected to deliver five tonnes each to the GMB, he said.

In 2014, poor storage facilities at the GMB led to the deterioration of 61 000 tonnes of maize over.