The Sunday News
Nqobizitha Dhlamini
FARMERS must be able to service all the equipment they will receive from Government as farming is a business venture which requires shareholders to look after their investment, an official has said.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development responsible for cropping Cde Davis Marapira said Government would in future completely stop supporting farmers.
Government has over the years been supporting farmers in procuring machinery and inputs as a way of helping them since most were complaining that they had no capacity to finance operations.
He said farmers must learn to set aside part of their profits for mechanising their operations.
“There are exemplary irrigation schemes in the country which were assisted once with machinery and have done a great job in terms of developing their farms and even purchasing more machinery for their projects without the assistance of Government but through proper management,” he said.
Cde Marapira said farmers would soon start receiving equipment that was bought from Brazil.
He said farmers in Matabeleland South were mobilising funds to transport the equipment from Harare.
“We expect the farmers to take great care of the machinery,” he said.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union Matabeleland South provincial chairman Mr Douglas Sibanda said plans were under way to train farmers on proper farm management skills.
“It is true that machinery has aged especially in areas of Matabeleland South like Gwanda and it’s in need of resuscitation.
We are set to receive machinery from the Government, we sincerely hope farmers will work hard to maintain this equipment,” he said.
He commended farmers at Silalatshani irrigation scheme in Filabusi who have done exceptionally well in terms of managing their farms and making them profitable businesses.
“Silalatshani farmers have been a living example that farming can and is a profitable business.
They have proved hard work pays off regardless of climate as they have done well in a province that has been prone to dry spells,” he said.
