WFP optimistic

Jane Nkiwane

Prospects of the country experiencing good harvests are likely to be high if rainfall predicted by the Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe is anything to go by, a World Food Program report has said.

According to the MSD bulletin, there are high chances of normal to above normal rainfall from October to December 2022. 

The October 2022 Food Security Monitoring Report produced by the WFP said farming operations such as land preparation and planting had commenced in most parts of the country. 

“If the rainfall season proceeds according to the national outlook with temporal and geographical distribution of the rains and equitable access to inputs being good, prospects of good harvests are likely to be high,” says the report.

This projection has been compared to the 2021 to 2022 rainfall period which was characterised by below average, erratic and low rainfall

Also, the report notes that farming operations such as land preparation and planting have started in most parts of the country and that the government has also started distributing inputs to farmers, which has led to an increase in casual labour opportunities for vulnerable families.

“The livestock condition is also expected to improve as  grazing availability and quality has improved with the start of the rains. These improvements will likely lead to favourable terms of trade for livestock and food access due to high incomes from livestock sales for livestock dependant households,” says the WFP.

Agriculture is the backbone of Zimbabwe’s economy as Zimbabweans largely derive their livelihood from agriculture and other related economic activities.