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South Africa's US$30 million donation to Zimbabwe "insignificant"

People have to borrow cereals such as maize. Jaspreet Kindra/IRIN
    JOHANNESBURG

    A US$30 million donation to Zimbabwe by neighbouring South Africa was not "expected to have a significant impact on this season's harvest," said the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).



    In December 2008, South Africa began providing Zimbabwe with agricultural inputs, such as seed, fertilizer and fuel, as the gravity of the country's food insecurity became apparent.



    About 7 million Zimbabweans, or more than half the population, are dependent on food aid but the FAO's February 2009 report on Crop Prospects and Food Situation did not expect the situation to improve.



    "Based on the weather pattern, and seed and fertilizer shortages, the early prospects for this year's [2009] harvest are considered unfavourable, pointing to another year of serious problems of food insecurity in the country," the FAO report predicted.



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    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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