Food security watchdog petitions banks, Treasury to support farmers
A LOCAL food security watchdog has petitioned banks and Treasury to support farmers to boost agricultural production to end perennial food shortages in the country.
At least seven million urbanites and people in rural areas of Zimbabwe are reported to be facing food shortages, according to estimates from local and international food monitoring agencies.
Climate change-induced drought is mainly blamed for the food crisis, but the COVID-19 global pandemic has added stress to the populace negatively impacted by the harsh economic climate.
“Our petition seeks to encourage financial institutions to support local farmers and work with them towards ensuring food security. We believe that with adequate financial support our farmers can innovatively meet the demand for food in the country,” Eye on Food Security Zimbabwe chairperson Busani Malinga.
“We understand the bank’s fiduciary responsibilities and we appreciate the effort by the banks in support of local farmers. However, we believe that more can be done to improve the relationship between the farmer and the banker. After all the bank needs food to eat while guarding and managing depositors’ funds.”
“We will also petition the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Agriculture compelling them to ensure that the agricultural sector receives more deliberate support to boost food production and subsequently ensure that we are a food secure nation,” Malinga added.
“We believe that the Parliamentary portfolio committee has focused on politics and politicking at the expense of food security in the country. We urge the committee to go out, meet the farmers, hear their needs and provide oversight on government policy and policy implementation in the farming sector to ensure that our farmers can comfortably feed the nation.”
The Eye on Food Security Zimbabwe is a food security lobby group which seeks to ensure that the government, private sector and all stakeholders actively participate towards ensuring zero hunger.