Last year the food crisis eased thanks to better rains and economic reforms by the unity government that took office last February.

But at least 1.9 million people are still expected to need aid this year, according to initial UN estimates.

Bindura was once part of a vibrant farming sector that until 2000 was able to feed the nation and export cash crops, accounting for about 40 percent of the economy.

A decade ago, President Robert Mugabe launched controversial land reforms to forcibly resettle mainly white commercial farms with new black farmers, in a process tainted by widespread political violence.

Donors haven't provided seeds to the new farmers, who complain that government hasn't given them enough help to get their crops into the ground -- raising questions about how big the national harvest will be.

Without aid, the resettled farmers have little means of financing their operations. Mugabe's land reforms did not give the owners title to the property, leaving them unable to access loans from commercial banks.

The unity government plans to conduct a land audit this year to determine who really owns the land, and then issue deeds so banks can again finance farming.

"That security of tenure has got be worked out this year in conjunction with the audit so that people can feel secure," economic planning minister Elton Mangoma told AFP.

"Government is committed in seeing this through," he said.

Bringing Zimbabwe's farms back to their productive peaks will be expensive.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti says 45 billion dollars is needed to return the overall economy to its peak, when agriculture was the backbone of the economy.

Charles Taffs, vice president of the mainly white Commercial Farmers Union, said Zimbabwe's farms haven't grown enough food to feed the nation since 2000.

"We borrowed 1.8 billion dollars in order to get that crop. This year we see a situation where finance is very limited," he told AFP.

Nationally, he estimated that about 350 million dollars was available from donors, government and the private sector for farming this year.

He predicts this year's harvest will yield at most 600 tonnes of the staple maize, only about one third of the nation food needs.

The FAO says it's impossible to predict the size of the harvest so early in the season.

But the United Nations has already asked donors for 378 million dollars to aid Zimbabwe this year, partly to feed those who will certainly face hunger again.

Source-AFP