Govt to channel 30k tonnes of grain monthly to social welfare programme

Man picking fallen grain along the road

The food deficit mitigation programme, under which the Government provides vulnerable households with grain, will require up to 30 000 metric tons per month, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement Minister Anxious Masuka disclosed this when he was responding to questions during the post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday.

“We have recently received a request from the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare indicating that we require up to 30 000 tonnes monthly for social welfare,” he said.

He also indicated that the Grain Marketing Board was holding sufficient stocks to meet demand.

This has been attributed to better rains this past season.

Apparently, to further buttress stocks the government is planning to import 400 000 metric tonnes of grain from Zambia and Malawi.

Zwnews