The Sunday News
Economic Focus
THE country might be focused on what is going on in the political arena. Many people might be scratching their heads on the issue of liquidity challenges the country is facing and all the other economic challenges that are sprouting from its effects.
It is true that because of many factors the economy is not performing at levels many analysts and the general public wanted.
However, one thing that is holding things together is that in terms of food security the country has done well after a successful farming season which produced more than 1,4 million tonnes of maize.
These are almost the same quantities that the country need to attain food self-sustenance.
We might have many other challenges but most people have enough food and this has unyoked the Government from the burden of importing grain to feed the nation as had become the norm in the past years.
All this, thanks to farmers from the communal to commercial sectors who did their best, taking advantage of good rains last season to sweat it out in the fields to ensure that the country produced enough food.
It was not only about maize but almost all agricultural activities blossomed last year.
Most tobacco farmers smiled all the way to the bank while the country raked in millions from exporting the golden leaf.
Those in cattle ranching did not disappoint and unlike in past years, they were at peace seeing pastures that could sustain the livestock until the next rains.
Because of the availability of water and pastures even milk volumes increased supported by an improved calving.
In a nutshell, the previous season was one where farmers reminded all those who could be thinking otherwise that Zimbabwe is a farming country.
Those, during the infant days of then Southern Africa Development Co-ordination Conference (SADCC), who gave the country the mandate to look after the food security of the trading bloc were justified because they had seen how this country has the best conditions to sustain almost all the important farming activities.
Agriculture has always been the mainstay of Zimbabwe’s economy for many years.
Many companies that anchored the economy in the past were either into direct farming or using agricultural produce as raw materials.
Companies, which come into mind, include Cold Storage Company which used to slaughter thousands of cattle supplying even the export market.
David Whitehead was anchored on the large quantities of cotton that was produced across the country.
Cairns was into processing a number of agricultural products some for the export market.
You could not talk of any big company in Zimbabwe without linking it to agriculture.
One of the biggest customers for the National Railways of Zimbabwe even today remains sugar growing and processing companies Triangle and Hippo Valley — both large farming linked companies.
The Grain Marketing Board grew to become a household name not for importing maize or late payments like in the past few years but through buying large quantities of maize and other grains from local farmers.
There were big companies whose brands grew from simply milling the large quantities of maize that the country produced.
It was a well-oiled economy rotating around agriculture.
The strides the country made last season must have evoked memories of yesteryear when all these companies’ operations seemed normal and routine thanks to the continuous conveyor belt of raw materials from the agriculture sector.
Once again the sky is finally getting pregnant with rich clouds ready to burst and pour their contents onto mother earth.
For any serious farmer, this is the time he or she has been waiting for and what is encouraging is that experts have predicated another normal rain season.
The farming season is upon us and farmers must be motivated to take over from where they left last season and once again show the world that Zimbabwe is still a force to reckon with in agriculture.
The beauty about agriculture has always been its ability to empower almost everyone from the ordinary person to the large corporate executive.
If a family can produce enough food from its small plot it is satisfied and do not need to wait for the benefits to cascade from the top. There is immediate impact and results for everyone to see.
Of course mining seems to have taken over as the highest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product but its effects have taken long to benefit the ordinary people.
Mining is shining in boardrooms where graphs are produced and analysed but the truth is that only a few executives, some outside the country are benefiting from this.
Just look at the diamonds saga. Since diamonds were discovered in the Marange area a few years ago, very few people can stand up and testify to have felt benefits from the gems.
This is the truth for many other mining areas. It is even worse for communities around some mining areas that are made to endure the sight of resources under their huts and houses being exploited while all what they get are toxic materials being left by some of the mining companies.
This is not to say mining is not good for the country but if we want to put smiles on the faces of almost everyone let us shift priority to the sector that brings instant impact to lives of many people which is agriculture.
Last season we saw and witnessed the effects of agriculture on the general population.
It is time we put our heads together again to ensure once again this will be a season to remember.
We must not only target ensuring that every family has enough food but must start thinking beyond that.
If we produced enough to feed the country last season this year we must target a surplus so that we can export.
We must also target to ensure that we have crops to supply enough raw material to restart some companies.
If we can grow enough cotton, we can justify the revival of companies like David Whitehead and many other weaving and spinning companies.
If we can rear enough cattle, we can justify forcing the Government to recapitalise CSC. The list of companies that can come back to life because of a better harvest is endless, that is why the country must join hands with the farmers to ensure that once again we built on the success of last year.
Happy farming!
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