UN warns of ‘race against time’ for drought-stricken African farmers
ROME — Some 23-million farmers in drought-hit Southern Africa need urgent help to prepare for the next planting season, with only a few weeks left before it begins, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said on Thursday.FAO said failure to timeously assist farmers with seeds, fertiliser and tools would result in a smaller harvest in March 2017, and leave millions of rural families dependent on humanitarian assistance until mid-2018."We must make the most of this small window of opportunity and make sure that farmers are ready to plant by October when the rains start," David Phiri, FAO subregional co-ordinator for Southern Africa, said in a statement."The main way people are able to access food is through what they themselves produce. Assisting them to do this will provide lifesaving support in a region where at least 70% of people rely on agriculture for their livelihoods."More than 60-million people, two thirds of them in east and southern Africa, are facing food shortages...
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