The Sunday News
Shepias Dube Business Reporter
A CALL has been made for Government to invest in rice production amid revelations that the country has the capacity to produce the cereal grain and contribute to the country’s food security. Speaking to Sunday Business last Friday, agriculture consultant Mr Tapuwa Mashangwa said the country was importing over 90 percent of rice from Asia to meet its yearly consumption.
Mr Mashangwa said the country had the potential to become one of the best rice producing countries in Sub Saharan Africa since it had vast water bodies for irrigation purposes.
“Zimbabwe has the capacity to produce rice owing to its vast water bodies and good soils,” said Mr Mashangwa.
He urged Government to invest in the development of irrigation schemes in the country as rice was a water crop.
“Our irrigation facilities in the country are not in shape and the onus is on Government to invest more on irrigation infrastructure to boost our rice production capacity instead of relying on imports,” said Mr Mashangwa.
Mr Mashangwa also challenged institutions of higher learning to develop high-yielding rice varieties for farmers and to teach them best agronomic practices.
“Farmers need to be educated on proper agricultural practices, and more needs to be done to tackle pests and diseases in order for rice production to be improved in the country,” he said.
He said the country had an enlightened human resource base which could easily learn the skills required in the production of rice.
“Growing rice is not complicated, all that is required is the technology to draw and supply water to the fields,” said Mr Mashangwa.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU), which is in the process of mobilising farmers to engage in rice production, said it would soon create linkages with other countries in the region that have a sound history of growing rice.
“Our farmers can learn a lot from countries such as Madagascar and others, by taking them to those countries to see rice production or to invite rice producers of those countries to come to Zimbabwe and educate our farmers about rice production,” said ZFU president Mr Abdul Nyathi.
He also urged Government to play its part and empower rice farmers with capital to build infrastructure such as rice ponds, water provision pumps and piping to feed ponds with water.
“Each institution must have a role to play. There is a role for research institutions, and a role for Government to play in terms of policy and infrastructure development,” Mr Nyathi said.
He said unless all these roles were harmonised, the country would continue losing the much-needed foreign currency on rice imports.
