Rising temperatures and worsening dry spells are adding to food shortage problems in Zimbabwe
ZAKA, Zimbabwe (AlertNet) – Esnath Murambasvina fondly remembers helping her parents grow crops such as maize, millet and groundnuts on their small piece of land in Masvingo province.
“My parents were farmers all their lives but I remember never lacking anything as I was growing up,” recalls the 55-year-old, whose parents were able to send her to nearby private mission schools on the proceeds from their farm.
Today she finds it very hard to accept that the soil that fed and sent her to school now cannot even produce enough food for her own family.
The past few years have seen temperatures increasing and dry spells becoming more frequent in Zaka, as they have in many parts of Zimbabwe. The changing weather patterns, believed linked to climate change, have resulted in worsening droughts and recurrent food shortages.
“It last rained in early January and up to now … there has been not even a drop of rain. The blazing heat has not spared our crops,” Murambatsvina said in an interview in late February.
In Zaka, just one of the places in Zimbabwe hard hit by changing weather conditions, most people are now losing crops year after year to bad weather, farmers say. A growing share of residents are relying on humanitarian food donations or being forced to spend their meager savings buying food in the region’s shops.
LACK OF INFORMATION
“We are not sure anymore of when to plant our crops and this is causing us a lot of losses,” Murambatsvina said. “Those who can afford it will have to buy grain or mealie-meal (maize meal) and those who cannot will be at the mercy of humanitarian organizations that usually distribute food hampers to the less privileged.”
Zimbabwe’s farmers, already battling to cope with land reforms and political upheaval that have cut agricultural production in the country, are now struggling as well with the effects of climate change on their land and their food security.
A lack of agricultural advice on how to deal with the changing conditions is exacerbating the problem, residents say.
Zimbabwe’s government used to provide technical support to farmers through the Agricultural, Technical and Extension Services (Agritex). Extension officers from the government department would train farmers on the best time to plant as well as the best crops for a certain area, depending on the suitability of the soil.
But today a lack of funding means most Agritex officers cannot effectively reach farmers as many lack transport to travel in their wards and offices to use as a base.
Irene Rwatirera, another villager from Zaka, said most residents are aware climate patterns have changed but no idea how to respond.
"We don’t have enough knowledge on how to deal with the changing weather patterns,” she said.
NO MONEY TO BUY FOOD
The international Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET), funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, said in late February that staple grains remain readily available in Zimbabwe markets but “limited incomes continue to constrain the ability of some poor households to access adequate food.”
Zimbabwe has about 1.7 million food insecure people, and the problem is worst in the southern, western and extreme northern parts of Zimbabwe, the network reported.
In Zaka, food prices have doubled since last year, with a 20 kg bag of maize that was being sold for $4 last year now selling for $8, a level beyond the reach of most villagers, residents said.
Food prices have surged around the world over the last six months as a result of rising demand and extreme weather that has damaged production in countries including Australia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, the Philippines, South Africa and Japan.
Lucia Makamure is a freelance writer based in Zimbabwe.
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