The Sunday News
Shepias Dube/ Nqobizitha Dhlamini Business Reporters
THE Zimbabwe Farmers Union has urged Government to release the $28 million which was set aside for the procurement of farming inputs for the coming summer season to ensure that the country can derive maximum benefits from agriculture. ZFU president Mr Abdul Nyathi said over the years the provision of inputs to vulnerable communities had failed to achieve intended results since the farmers received the inputs late.
“The idea to provide farming inputs for the disadvantaged families in the communal areas is noble but over the years it has failed to bear fruit because the inputs always get to the farmers late,” he said.
In his midterm budget review Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said for the 2015/2016 farming season government would assist about 300 000 vulnerable households through the input scheme at a cost of $28 million.
The agriculture input support package would comprise of a 10 kilogramme of maize, a 50 kilogramme bag of compound D and another 50 kilogramme of Ammonium Nitrate per family.
Mr Nyathi added that priority should be given to households with a good and traceable farming record to ensure that the inputs are used for the intended purpose. He also said the scheme should also cover families in urban areas who have now adopted agriculture as a source of income because of the high rate of unemployment.
“Farming is no longer confined to rural areas as it used to be, the economic hardships facing the nation have prompted the urbanites to turn to agriculture for food and income,” he said.
Meanwhile Mr Nyathi has called the business community to support farmers as the success of industry was depended on availability of inputs, most of them that come from agriculture.
“Farmers are the ones responsible for food security in the country and they are in the beginning of the food value chain hence they need the support. For the past 35 years farmers have been supplying the industry with inputs but industry has not reciprocated that by supporting the farmers.”
He said small-holder farmers needed more support since they were anchoring agriculture.
When the Government procured irrigation equipment from the Brazilian scheme, they prioritised the smallholder farmers,” he said.
Mr Nyathi also said since it was evident that banks were not that willing to fund agricultural projects, industry has to step in.
