Government appeals for 45,000 mt of maize

The government of Tanzania has appealed for 45,000 mt of maize to meet part of the 77,500 mt food aid requirement identified during a recent vulnerability assessment, FEWS NET reported on Friday. The assessment, conducted in June and July by government officials, UN agencies and NGOs found that just under two million people in 46 districts would be at risk of severe food shortages between October 2003 and March 2004. To meet the remaining needs, Prime Minister Fredrick Sumaye announced that his government planned to sell 32,000 mt from its strategic grain reserve at highly subsidized prices in the areas of need. However, additional donor aid would be required to cover the costs of transport. Sumaye also asked donors to provide seed assistance amounting to 3,200 mt in maize equivalent for use during the October/November 2003 planting season. This aid, to be distributed to severely food insecure households, would be necessary because these families had no reserve seed from this year's harvests and could not afford to pay for commercial seed. Furthermore, supplies from the domestic seed industry are far less than normal because of poor rainfall. Sumaye added that donor assistance would also be required in procuring and distributing about 40,000 mt of fertilizer. [For the complete report, go to www.fews.net]