By Own Correspondent| Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri said the country has sufficient grain to cover the next seven months.

In a statement read on his behalf by, his secretary Ringson Chitsiko yesterday, Shiri said  stocks of maize and small grains at GMB stood at 832 156 tonnes.

This was revealed at a Grain Millers’ Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) meeting on drought assessment recently.

He said:

At the current monthly drawdown rate of 120 000 tonnes, the available grain is sufficient to last about seven months.

The Second Round Crop and Livestock Assessment Report will soon be presented to Cabinet and the nation will thereafter be officially informed of the results of the assessment.

With the projected below average production, grain imports are inevitable and the magnitude will be determined after the assessment.

Shiri indicated that Government has proposed drought alleviation measures.

Shiri’s statement comes in the qake of revelations that an estimated 2 million people in the rural areas are projected to be in dire need of food assistance this year.

He said: .

This effort bears testimony to the fact that the grain industry has put interests of the nation at heart. As Government we support these private sector interventions, as they complement the national policy of ensuring food security at household and national levels.