Villagers in the Madabe area of Plumtree are appealing for food aid from donor agencies to avert possible food shortages after their cereal crops were wiped out by quelea birds and water logging.
On Wednesday, the United States Agency for International Development (USAid)and World Vision Zimbabwe in partnership with government distributed food aid to 168 households in the village.
World Vision Zimbabwe (WVZ) official Hloniphani Tshuma said the distribution exercise was the last one as they had been getting donor support from October 2022 to March this year.
"In this programme, our donor is USAid. USAid is given permission by the government to work with you through the assistance of government departments that include the social welfare, Agritex and the district development co-ordinator's office. USAid works with World Food Programme (WFP) and WVZ to ensure the food gets to the beneficiaries."
A kraalhead in the affected area Siphiwe Ngwenya said crops in the area were affected by quelea birds and water logging.
"In our area we grow drought-resistant crops such as sorghum, rapoko and millet. We, therefore, have a serious problem with quelea birds. They have destroyed our yields. As we speak, we are already out in terms of a good harvest, we will get nothing due to the bird menace," Ngwenya said.
In response, USAid Zimbabwe nutrition advisor Themba Nduna said: "I cannot promise that we will continue with the programme. There are meetings which are conducted before these programmes are done."
Ward 3 councillor Nkosilathi Kahlu told Southern Eye: “We are facing serious food challenges but this year it is better because of good rains. But there is water logging in our fields and that can affect the yields.”
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Mangwe district Agritex officer Moffat Ncube said not all areas received good rains.
"The rain has been erratic. Not all areas got good rains. The rains have been falling since February and small grains like sorghum, millet and rapoko are recovering.”
“In some areas, people face challenges of quelea birds. The department usually calls the Parks and Wildlife department to spray and scare away the birds,” Ncube said.
