Most commonly, labour, goats, chickens, clothes, or woven mats were bartered for maize, cooking oil or sugar. 36% of families – the same number as those who have bartered in the recent past – expect to barter again this year in order to survive. Some expressed that they would have to barter every week, asking their neighbours for tasks to do in exchange for maize as they had no other way of surviving. Two interviewees said they would barter if they could, but had nothing left to exchange and were too old to work. viii. Harvests, 2011 and 2012 Families were asked to review what had happened during the last harvest, and how prepared they were for planting in the coming season. This is particularly important as the Agricultural Extension programme (AREX) in Matabeleland South has predicted a good early rainy season, with a long dry spell early in 2012. This means that by the middle of October, seed and fertilizer or a plan to acquire it, should have been to hand. This is clearly not the case, with only one family reporting that they already have inputs, with the all the rest indicating no seed or fertilizer whatsoever at this stage, and no clear plan for acquiring them. The government roll‐out programme announced in mid‐October has not been heard of here. As already mentioned, around two thirds of families indicate that they have no draught power and no current plan for ploughing either. Graph 8: showing last year’s harvests up to six months supply 19 less than 50kg maize 40 nothing at all 41 0 10 20 30 40 50 The 2010‐11 season was disastrous in this area, with 41% of families harvesting absolutely nothing, and a further 40% having almost total crop failure, harvesting less than one month’s grain supply – less than 50 kg of maize. Only 4 families harvested around 6 months supply of grain, and by late September, no family had any remaining harvest to hand. The prediction is, that unless inputs have already been acquired by the time this report is released, it will be too late to plant in this region, which is notoriously difficult to harvest in, and there will once again be a near total crop failure. In fact, several families indicated that they will not be planting this year in any event, as they 31