Livestock feed for sale to drought affected communities at subsidised prices. Photo © FAO/ Believe Nyakudjara

1 December 2016, Harare — The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation has unveiled Euro 1 million funding for an El Niño drought response project. The drought response project is being implemented by FAO, working with Government of Zimbabwe, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development in Mberengwa, Zvishavane, Chivi and Mwenezi districts. This project supports farmers’ access to drought-tolerant seeds and access to subsidised stock feed.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Permanent Secretary, Ringson Chitsiko, said the project laid a firm foundation for effective recovery from the drought experienced last season. “This timely intervention is welcome and will positively impact on the smallholder farmers in the four districts.”

Drought response project vital for building resilience

The Italian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Enrico De Agostini said: “This programme is part of a broader intervention by the Italian Cooperation, which has come to the rescue of the Zimbabwean populations affected by the El Niño induced drought. The other two interventions are bilateral and include specific projects which will be carried out by Italian NGO’s present in the country, for a total of approximately 1.7 million Euros.”

FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and Zimbabwe Country Representative, David Phiri, noted that the transfer of responsibilities to the local communities through the Agriculture Development Associations (ADAs) to distribute seed and stock feed increases community ownership of the project and empowers the communities to be responsible for the project outcomes. “The provision of subsidized seeds and survival stock feed provides a mechanism for weaning farmers off free donor handouts and for ADAs to continue making stock feed and seed available at the local level.”

Ensuring food and nutrition security

Under the project, the supplementary feed is be delivered to convenient locations where it can easily be accessed by the farmers. Smallholder farmers are also provided with subsidized sorghum seed and cowpeas seed. Sorghum, like other small grains, is drought tolerant. Pulses such as cowpeas are ideal for nutrition security at the household level as well as helping with soil fertility.

Zimbabwe experienced the driest rainy season in more than three decades during the 2015/16 agricultural season, leaving 4.1 million people in the rural areas of the country in need of food assistance before the next harvest (March 2018). The situation was made worse by the poor harvests recorded in the previous agricultural season due to another drought.

The forecasts for the current season predict normal to above normal rainfall in some parts of the country, which presents an opportunity for recovery from the massive food deficits resulting from the two successive droughts.

In response to the increasing needs of drought-affected households, FAO launched its Zimbabwe Drought response programme as part of the broader FAO El Niño Response Plan for Southern Africa; appealing for USD 35.2 million to assist 486 000 drought affected smallholder farming families. The appeal is currently only 22 percent funded.

More Information

1. FAO Southern Africa El Niño Response Plan (2016-17)
2. El-Niño in Zimbabwe: Responding to the Crisis (Video)
3. Southern Africa Drought - Situation report October 2016

Contacts

Leonard Makombe | FAO Zimbabwe Communications | [email protected]

Edward Ogolla | FAO Southern Africa Communications | [email protected]