Assessment of the Impact of Cyclone Eline (February 2000) on the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sector in Zimbabwe 02. – 12 April 2000 Chirumhanzu Chimanimani Bulilimamangwe Mberengwa Chipinge Mwenezi Chiredzi Beitbridge By Agritex-NEWU-Ministry of Agriculture of Zimbabwe USAID/Famine Early Warning System World Food Programme Zimbabwe FAO/Sub-Regional Office for Southern and East Africa Acknowledgement All findings and results in the report reflected are discussed and agreed on amongst the team members of the two teams conducting the mission. We would like to thank all staff members of government institutions, NGOs and other organizations on provincial level who supported us with valuable information and guidance during the assessment. Last but not least we would like to thank all the affected people and households who reported patiently on losses and their view of the situation. The mission was funded by the FAO Sub-Regional Office for Southern and Eastern Africa and supported by USAID / FEWS and WFP who supported the mission by funding their own staff members. 1 TABLE OF CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION ___________________________________________________5 2. OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSESSMENT _________________________________6 3. METHODOLOGY ___________________________________________________7 4. BACKGROUND AND GENERAL INFORMATION _______________________8 4.1 Agro-ecological Zones (Natural Regions)_________________________________8 4.2 Population _______________________________________________________11 5. SUMMARY OF NATIONAL FINDINGS _______________________________13 5.1 Dryland crop situation and damages ___________________________________13 5.2 Livestock ________________________________________________________16 5.3 Food Security_____________________________________________________16 5.4 Forestry and Natural resources _______________________________________18 5.5 Infrastructure Damages _____________________________________________18 5.6 Irrigation schemes and water resources _________________________________19 5.7 Early Warning ____________________________________________________20 5.8 Recommendations _________________________________________________21 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FINDINGS IN THE PROVINCES AND DISTRICTS VISITED ______________________________________________23 6. Manicaland and Midlands ____________________________________________23 6.1 Crop situation and damages ________________________________________23 6.2 Livestock________________________________________________________27 6.3 Irrigation and water resources ______________________________________31 6.4 Natural Resources and Forestry _____________________________________39 6.5 Livelihoods ______________________________________________________40 6.6 Household Food Security and Nutrition_______________________________42 6.7 Health Trend Implications for Nutrition and Water supply _______________56 6.8 Markets and prices________________________________________________58 6.9 Socio-economic Effects ____________________________________________59 6.10 Conlusions for Manicaland and Midlands_____________________________62 6.11 Recommendations For Manicaland and Midlands ______________________63 7 MASVINGO AND MATABELELAND SOUTH __________________________65 7.1 MASVINGO _______________________________________________________65 7.2 CHIREDZI DISTRICT ______________________________________________68 7.3 MWENEZI DISTRICT ______________________________________________73 7.4 MATEBELELAND SOUTH PROVINCE _______________________________77 7.5 BULILIMAMANGWE DISTRICT (Plumtree)____________________________77 7.6 BEITBRIDGE DISTRICT____________________________________________82 2 LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1: Distribution of land over agro-ecological zones ......................................................... 9 Table 4.2: Affected population per district .............................................................................. 11 Table 4.3: Summary of Districts Visited ................................................................................. 12 Table 5.1: Contribution of affected districts to national dryland grain and cotton production. ..... 14 Table 5.2: Crop Production Areas Badly* Affected in Hectares ............................................... 14 Table 5.3: Production losses in affected areas ......................................................................... 15 Table 5.4: Communal Areas Animal Losses due to Cyclone Eline Effects ................................ 16 Table 5.5: Coping Mechanisms for Areas Visited.................................................................... 17 Table 5.6: No of irrigation schemes affected by the floods ....................................................... 19 Table 5.7: Dams damaged in Manicaland and Midlands province............................................. 20 Table 6.1.1: Estimated crop production losses in the smallholder farming sector ....................... 23 Table 6.1.2: Percentage of total cropped area that was affected by the cyclone. ......................... 24 Table 6.1.3: Estimated crop production losses due to cyclone effects. ....................................... 24 Table 6.1.4: Estimated crop production losses due to cyclone effects. ....................................... 25 Table 6.1.5: Estimated reduction in crop production due cyclone effects................................... 26 Table 6.2.1: Average livestock selling prices (US$)................................................................. 28 Table 6.2.2: Livestock losses in Manicaland............................................................................ 28 Table 6.2.3: Livestock losses in Midlands ............................................................................... 28 Table 6.2.4: Infrastructure damaged ....................................................................................... 29 Table 6.2.5: Impact on livestock and household....................................................................... 30 Table 6.3.1: Details of irrigation schemes damaged in Manicaland province ............................. 33 Table 6.3.2: Damaged small earth dams in Manicaland province .............................................. 35 Table 6.3.3: Crop damages in irrigation schemes..................................................................... 36 Table 6.3.4: Details of irrigation schemes damaged in Midlands province................................. 37 Table 6.3.5: Details of dams damaged in Midlands province .................................................... 38 Table 6.4.1: Estimate of the total ha damaged for the two districts............................................ 39 Table 6.5.1: Crop Production in Districts ................................................................................ 41 Table 6.5.2: Sources of Income .............................................................................................. 41 Table 6.6.1: The number of granaries destroyed per ward........................................................ 42 Table 6.6.2: Coping mechanisms in some of the affected areas ................................................ 49 Table 6.7.1: Occurrence of diarrhoea and malaria in Chipinge and Chimanimani....................... 56 Table 6.7.2: Percentage of wasted children in most affected wards in Chipinge. ........................ 57 Table 6.7.3: Percentage of wasted children in Midlands .......................................................... 58 Table 6.8.1: Summary of types of food items sold and their prices in wards visited.................... 58 Table 6.9.1: Extent of Damages in Mberengwa and Mvuma..................................................... 61 Table 6.9.2: Nature of Infrastructure Damages........................................................................ 61 Table 7.1.1: Hectarage and production per crop per District and the Province before floods ....... 66 Table 7.1.2: Percentage of crop hectarage to Provincial cropped area ....................................... 66 Table 7.1.3: Crop hectarage affected (washed away & waterlogged) per crop per District .......... 67 Table 7.1.4: Provincial hectarage and % of waterlogged/washed-away per crop and crop area ... 67 Table 7.1.5: Estimated Production per crop per District and the Province after floods ................ 68 Table 7.2.1: Affected Wards and villages in Chiredzi district ................................................... 69 Table 7.2.2: Affected households and crop areas..................................................................... 69 Table 7.2.3: Damages to Irrigation Schemes ........................................................................... 70 Table 7.3.1: Population in Mwenezi district and affected people............................................... 73 Table 7.3.2: Crop damages and loss in yields .......................................................................... 74 Table 7.3.3: The livestock in Mwenezi district ........................................................................ 75 Table 7.4.1: Summary of affected people in Matabeleland South .............................................. 77 Table 7.4.2: Summary of Livestock and Granary Losses.......................................................... 77 Table 7.5.1: Summary of affected population .......................................................................... 78 Table 7.6.1: Summary of Affected People in Beitbridge........................................................... 83 Table 7.6.2: Summary of Livestock Affected in Beitbridge