A government official announced that food distribution will continue until farmers harvest their crops, ensuring that no one faces hunger due to the withdrawal of aid.
The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Dr. Anxious Masuka, told The Sunday Mail that the Food Deficit Mitigation Programme (FDMP) will continue beyond its usual end date of March 31.
“After updating the Cabinet on the situation in the country in relation to the crops and livestock performance, we have since agreed to extend the Food Deficit Mitigation Programme beyond the traditional cut-off date of March 31.
“While the crops are looking good and promising a bumper harvest, most crops will not be harvested before March 31.
“The food will now be distributed up until farmers have harvested their crops and ensure no one will go hungry due to withdrawal of food aid. The idea is to ensure the country is food-secure.”
Cabinet has recently reviewed the Food Security Outlook Report for the 2024/2025 summer season. The current grain stock of 129,149 metric tonnes is sufficient to support rural communities until the April 2025 harvest.
