Family farms: A case study of Zimbabwe

[barryqwalsh]

Zimbabwe has gone from being Africa's food bowl to stocking just salt and tissues on supermarket shelves

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Family farms have assumed more importance since the acquisition of large scale white-owned farms - Bush Telegraph - ABC Radio National Australian Broadcasting Corporation

 

[Moon968]

It is the best step of Zimbabwe Govt to improve the level of study in the country and they should also provide more facilities to the students.

 

[ScienceRocks]

here is a bit of infromation to think about...Those white farmers are being slaughtered and told to get the fuck out of zimbabwe. Not a peep is being made against this racism.

 

[Vikrant]

The country which is a big supporter of Zimbabwe is China. I do not see any any pressure from UK or Australia or Canada on China to back down from supporting Zimbabwe.

allAfrica.com Zimbabwe China Willing to Elevate Ties With Zimbabwe to Higher Level - VP

 

[waltky]

El Nino drought disaster in Zimbabwe...

Zimbabwe declares ‘state of disaster’ over severe drought
Sat, Feb 06, 2016 - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe yesterday declared a “state of disaster” in many rural areas hit by a severe drought, with more than a quarter of the population facing food shortages.

A regional drought worsened by the El Nino weather phenomenon has affected South Africa, Malawi and Zambia, as well as Zimbabwe, leaving tens of thousands of cattle dead, dams depleted and crops written off. Formerly known as the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe has suffered perennial shortages in recent years and has relied on importing grain from neighboring countries to meet its needs. “Initial indications were that 1.5 million people were food insecure, with all the 60 rural districts being affected,” Public Works Minister Saviour Kasukuwere said in a statement. “Overall, the food insecure population has since risen to 2.44 million — 26 percent of the population,” he said. Mugabe has blamed low farm yields on erratic rains due to climate change, as well as sanctions imposed by Western countries over the government’s tainted human rights record.

Critics say the food shortages have been partially caused by Mugabe’s land reforms enacted since 2000 when the government oversaw the often violent eviction of white farmers. Many farms are underutilized, and the government has vowed to hold an audit to ensure agriculture land is put into production. “The rains came too late to save the crops. Most of the maize wilted,” Enos Janhi, a farmer in Masvingo, one of the worst affected districts, said by telephone. “Farmers are driving their cattle into the fields to graze on the drying stalks. The government must act urgently to bring us food,” he said. Kasukuwere said at least 16,500 cattle have died in Zimbabwe, while as much as 75 percent of crops have been abandoned in the worst-hit areas. The minister said the Zimbabwean government would take measures to minimize the impact of the drought on both humans and livestock.

However, he gave few details, and the country has scarce resources to tackle the food shortages due to years of international isolation and its stagnant economy. “The April [last year] harvest in Zimbabwe was 50 percent lower than the previous year,” World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman David Orr said. “With the drought continuing, it looks like the lean season is going to continue beyond the harvest time this year,” he said. “The number of food insecure people is likely to rise and continue rising,” he added. Last month, the WFP said 14 million people across southern Africa faced going hungry due to the prolonged drought, with the cost of maize — the regional staple — in Malawi 73 percent higher than average. “People have no money in their pockets — a situation exacerbated by food shortages,” Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, told a news conference in Harare. “We are facing a very serious national crisis,” Tsvangirai said.

Zimbabwe declares ‘state of disaster’ over severe drought - Taipei Times

 

[waltky]

Hunger due to El Nino drought bad and getting worse...

Southern Africa’s Dire Food Situation Grows Worse
December 06, 2016 - Southern Africa's lengthy drought has gotten worse, aid officials say, and 13.8 million people are now staring down hunger as the lean season starts in the region.

These months before the next harvest are critical, says humanitarian coordinator Timo Pakkala. Food supplies are critically low because of poor harvests caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon, which has wrought havoc in the region since 2015. “Now we are at the peak of the lean season, meaning that we still have some way to go to the next harvest, which is in March/April in most parts of Southern Africa," said Pakkala, the El Niño Coordinator for the U.N.’s Southern Africa Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "So this is where people are really the most stressed in coping with the lack of food and the poor water situation in many parts of Southern Africa.”

Last Zimaniwa feels the broken ground at a spot which is usually a reliable water source that has dried up due to lack of rains in the village of Chivi , Zimbabwe, Jan. 29, 2016. Southern Africa's lengthy drought has gotten worse, aid officials say​

These food shortages are compounded by poor commodity prices and sluggish economies in the Southern African region, which can hamper governments’ ability to help by importing food. And a drought doesn’t only hit bellies - the U.N. notes that in Malawi, some 137,000 children have been forced out of school, many daunted by the prospect of a hungry, thirsty trek to school - only to be followed by a hungry, thirsty day in the classroom.

Malawi is home to half the population dealing with food shortages, 6.7 million according to OCHA. Another three million live in Zimbabwe, with smaller numbers residing in Mozambique, Angola, Madagascar, Lesotho and Swaziland. Unlike the mass devastation of a hurricane or earthquake, a drought slowly nibbles away at people’s meager food supplies and survival skills. That slow creep, Pakkala says, makes it harder to rouse donor funds. “It’s a bigger challenge to mobilize resources and get the international development partners organized to support countries like is the case in Southern Africa,” he said.

A Zimbabwean subsistence farmer holds a stunted maize cob in his field outside Harare​

The United Nations says they are facing a funding gap of about $550 million dollars. That money, they say, is the difference between giving millions of people full rations and allowing hundreds of thousands of children to wither from malnutrition. Pakkala says the next harvest is likely to alleviate the situation, but that for many, it may be too late. The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund has treated more than 82,000 children for severe acute malnutrition, but officials estimate that they need to reach 580,000 more in coming months. For those children, the consequences of a long hungry spell won’t be so easily resolved. Poor nutrition leads to stunting and delays in brain development, which are irreversible.

Southern Africa’s Dire Food Situation Grows Worse

 

[westwall]

Hunger due to El Nino drought bad and getting worse...

Southern Africa’s Dire Food Situation Grows Worse
December 06, 2016 - Southern Africa's lengthy drought has gotten worse, aid officials say, and 13.8 million people are now staring down hunger as the lean season starts in the region.

These months before the next harvest are critical, says humanitarian coordinator Timo Pakkala. Food supplies are critically low because of poor harvests caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon, which has wrought havoc in the region since 2015. “Now we are at the peak of the lean season, meaning that we still have some way to go to the next harvest, which is in March/April in most parts of Southern Africa," said Pakkala, the El Niño Coordinator for the U.N.’s Southern Africa Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "So this is where people are really the most stressed in coping with the lack of food and the poor water situation in many parts of Southern Africa.”

Last Zimaniwa feels the broken ground at a spot which is usually a reliable water source that has dried up due to lack of rains in the village of Chivi , Zimbabwe, Jan. 29, 2016. Southern Africa's lengthy drought has gotten worse, aid officials say​

These food shortages are compounded by poor commodity prices and sluggish economies in the Southern African region, which can hamper governments’ ability to help by importing food. And a drought doesn’t only hit bellies - the U.N. notes that in Malawi, some 137,000 children have been forced out of school, many daunted by the prospect of a hungry, thirsty trek to school - only to be followed by a hungry, thirsty day in the classroom.

Malawi is home to half the population dealing with food shortages, 6.7 million according to OCHA. Another three million live in Zimbabwe, with smaller numbers residing in Mozambique, Angola, Madagascar, Lesotho and Swaziland. Unlike the mass devastation of a hurricane or earthquake, a drought slowly nibbles away at people’s meager food supplies and survival skills. That slow creep, Pakkala says, makes it harder to rouse donor funds. “It’s a bigger challenge to mobilize resources and get the international development partners organized to support countries like is the case in Southern Africa,” he said.

A Zimbabwean subsistence farmer holds a stunted maize cob in his field outside Harare​

The United Nations says they are facing a funding gap of about $550 million dollars. That money, they say, is the difference between giving millions of people full rations and allowing hundreds of thousands of children to wither from malnutrition. Pakkala says the next harvest is likely to alleviate the situation, but that for many, it may be too late. The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund has treated more than 82,000 children for severe acute malnutrition, but officials estimate that they need to reach 580,000 more in coming months. For those children, the consequences of a long hungry spell won’t be so easily resolved. Poor nutrition leads to stunting and delays in brain development, which are irreversible.

Southern Africa’s Dire Food Situation Grows Worse

The hunger is due to the farms being taken over by mugabe supporters who don't know shit about farming.