The Director of Coordination for Disaster Management in the Prime Minister’s Office, Col Matamwe Said stated here over the weekend that every year the Ministry of Agriculture evaluates the country’s food security.
For this year an evaluation was conducted on 46 districts that had signs of food shortage, but after the rains 16 districts were found to still facing with grain shortage.
He said the yardstick used in evaluating the various districts included availability of grain, markets and food security.
However Col Saidi said evaluation was directed at figuring out reasons for the specific districts to be facing grain shortage so as to find ways to end the situation.
“The period 1980 to 1984 was the time the country experienced real grain shortage but presently no experience of famine exists save for a few areas in some districts experiencing grain shortage challenges,” he said.
He made the remarks when opening training on evaluation of food security and Nutrition in the country, organized by the UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) for experts in food security in the ministry and among civic stakeholders.
He said every region has put in place its strategies in facing the challenge by assisting areas affected by the grain shortage, including delivering supplies for sale at affordable prices.
The government also expects to improve grain stocks in warehouses, thus the training conference was meant to equip officials to assist the government to evaluate the food situation better.
The Ag Director of Food Security and Nutrition, Tatu Kayumbu said FAO in collaboration with the ministry offered the training to take adequate note of various levels of food security and nutrition.
The training was being conducted in tandem with evaluation work and preparation of reports on the status of food and nutrition so that the country should take appropriate steps, she added, expressing gratitude to FAO for enabling the training.
