From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:SOUTHERN AFRICA: RAINS BRING HOPE AFTER DROUGHT
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 23:51:29 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1993, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Africa, southern
Title: SOUTHERN AFRICA: RAINS BRING HOPE AFTER DROUGHT


harare, jan 15 (ips) -- after a devastating drought last year,
the southern african development community (sadc) region has
expressed optimism about this year's harvest despite a slow and
erratic start.

sadc agriculture and transport ministers meeting here friday
to assess drought relief food delivery and logistics are
confident that the 1993 season has ''brighter prospects'' in
store for the region.

the organisation's latest report on food security notes that
the slow and erratic start of the raining season has resulted in
widespread replanting in most of the ten sadc countries except
in angola and tanzania.

''despite these difficulties, i think this year's season will
be better although we still need an improvement in the weather
pattern to ensure a bumper harvest'', said howard sigwele.

sigwele, a chief agricultural economist in botswana's
ministry of agriculture told ips that the rains which started
falling in the country in december -- a month late -- have
brought great relief in most parts, particularly in the southern
region.

''our fields are green again with the maize crop. grazing has
improved but we must have more rain in february, the most
critical month at which crops will be flowering'', said sigwele.

although dry conditions prevail in namibia, anton von
wietersheim, minister of agriculture and rural development, said
the season looked promising and crops in the north-eastern
caprivi and kavango areas were doing well.

''namibia receives most of its rain in february and march and
with the scattered showers experienced in december last year i
can say there is light at the end of the tunnel'', von
wietersheim said.

according to von wietersheim, namibia's worry at present is
not about food shortages but the water situation. he said the
country experienced  a chronic lack of underground water both
in the urban and rural areas.

to rectify this situation namibia has borrowed 18 million
u.s. dollars from western donors to sink boreholes, build more
dams and establish canals and pipe-lines, said von wietersheim.

morgan ngwenya, permanent secretary in swaziland's ministry
of agriculture, said the first 10 days of december brought some
good news but replanting in some areas was necessary. (more/ips)


southern africa: rains (2)

however, ''with the rains that have already fallen in most
parts of the country, we have every hope of a good and
productive season'', ngwenya told ips.

during 1991 and 1992 the sadc countries -- angola, botswana,
lesotho, malawi, mozambique, namibia, swaziland, tanzania,
zambia and zimbabwe were gripped by the worst drought in living
memory.

the lives of an estimated 18 million people out of a total
sadc member population of 80 million were threatened by the
drought.

it resulted in the importation of over 12 million metric
tonnes of grain, seven million tonnes for the sadc region and
five million tonnes for south africa. the bill has run to usd
854 million, only usd 600 million of which has been covered by
donor pledges.

despite the rains, it will take several years for the soil to
regain its fertility and the water table to recover. the
agricultural-dependant economies of the region have also been
severely dented by the climatic disaster. (end/ips/az/oa/93)
Xref: sparky soc.culture.african:7865 soc.culture.african.american:14339