Dismal wheat harvest in Zim
Unreliable electricity supplies have wrought havoc on Zimbabwe’s winter wheat crop, and the country, already unable to feed more than a quarter of its population, is set to record one of its worst harvests. Earlier this year the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) introduced daily 20-hour power cuts for domestic consumers, prioritising the electricity requirements of irrigation farmers producing winter wheat. However, farmers say crop production has failed because Zesa could not maintain a regular power supply to farmers. – Irin News
Donkeys sold as beef
With beef becoming increasingly rare in Zimbabwe, desperate consumers are falling victim to swindlers. Some people have been conned into buying donkey meat, which Zimbabweans consider inedible. Poaching and cattle theft are also on the rise. – Irin
Fighting disrupts Kenya’s farmers
Ongoing clashes that have displaced over 100 000 people in the Mt Elgon district near the Kenya-Uganda border have disrupted farming and trading. “Those who planted potatoes need to pay police to escort them to their farms and to market,” Sokwony Laikong, a teacher in the affected areas, said. Fighting broke out in in December 2006 after inter-clan disputes over land. – Irin News
