Harare - Most rural households in Zimbabwe will harvest nothing this year amid a worsening food crisis, a famine watchdog announced on Tuesday ahead of a visit to the southern African country by the head of the UN's food programme.
"The majority of farming households will harvest nothing and are already dependent on the market for all their food requirements," the US-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fewsnet) said in its latest report on Zimbabwe.
The agency warned that spiralling prices on the market for scarce grain would mean few households could afford to buy it, making them dependent on food hand-outs.
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"Income opportunities in rural Zimbabwe will be more limited this year than they were last year, making it difficult for many to compensate for their crop losses through purchases, even if the food is available on the market," Fewsnet said.
| 'The majority of farming households will harvest nothing' |
The warning comes ahead of a visit to Zimbabwe next week by the head of the UN's World Food Programme (WFP), James Morris, who is expected to hold talks with President Robert Mugabe to assess the scale of the crisis.
The famine watchdog said it was still not clear how many people are affected by the current food shortages. The government says just 1,5 million people need food assistance but aid agencies say at least five million out of the country's 11,6 million people need help.
The government, which blames the current food crisis on drought, is sensitive to any criticism of a controversial land reform programme it launched five years ago that aid agencies say has contributed to a massive decline in agricultural output. - Sapa-DPA
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