Joseph Made: Too early to Declare a Failed Harvest
Thulasizwe Simelane
Harare – The Zimbabwean government appears confused over the assessment of the country’s food security situation. Following a tour of the countryside a few weeks ago, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai declared the situation catastrophic. However, the Agriculture Minister Joseph Made now says it is too early to conclude that the harvest has failed, as the farming season is not yet over.
He blames western sanctions for the collapse of irrigation infrastructure on small-scale farms. “Those communities where the British and Americans have pretended that the sanctions have no impact – that is where the sanctions have an impact and indeed when the prime minister was visiting around he saw the state of irrigation schemes and they are only in that state because of the sanctions,” says Made.
The Red Cross says while $33 million is needed for emergency food assistance, donors have only pledged $7 million. A unity government formed by bitter adversaries President Robert Mugabe and Prime Tsvangirai last year said it needs at least $10 billion to fix an economy emerging from a decade-long slump. But key Western donors have withheld aid and demanded broad political reforms and assurances that Mugabe is ready to genuinely share power.
Posted by Dave Fish Eagle
on March 13, 2010. Filed under Local News.
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