adminTHE summer season is officially upon us and this is the time farmers look forward to the heavens to open up and nourish the earth and support new life in the form of crops and even the pastures to feed livestock.
It is no doubt that one of the main problems that have affected the local economy has been the underperformance of agriculture due to both natural and human factors.
Last year, most parts of the country did not receive enough rains resulting in widespread crop failures, which meant there were low yields.
Right now the country is in the middle of a drought which has been forcing the Government to channel the little resources they are harnessing towards importing grain to feed the nation.
As the country gets ready for another summer season, what has been encouraging is that the experts, the Meteorological Department, has forecasted that most parts of the country will receive normal to above normal rainfall.
And more importantly the rains are expected to come early. This must be good news to our farmers and to the country as a whole.
But the hope might also be crashed if the same farmers are not adequately prepared to face the season with enough inputs to ensure they maximise on production.
The Government is fronting Command Agriculture, a $500 million programme aimed at producing two million tonnes of maize from 400 000 hectares of land.
Two million tonnes is the approximate quantities Zimbabwe needs to feed its people in a year.
Already a number of farmers and irrigation schemes have registered for the programme.
If it succeeds, this is expected to put to rest the issue of drought in Zimbabwe. This assumption is, however, even not enough because it is a given that Zimbabwe’s food needs cannot only be met through Command Agriculture.
While the Command Agriculture programme is good, farming in Zimbabwe has been traditionally pushed by the small holder farmer in the rural areas. Farming has been a source of livelihood for most households in rural areas.
Zimbabwe has been traditionally a farming country and even history shows that while commercial farming has helped the country especially on exports and cash crops, it is the small holder farmer who has always carried the day when it comes to meet the food requirements.
As the support for agriculture comes in, it is important never to forget the small holder farmer.
These farmers have most of the years managed to carry the country on their shoulders by producing enough for their families and even surplus to sell for them to sustain other needs apart from food.
Even when the country used to be a thriving agriculture economy, most of the maize which was delivered to the Grain Marketing Board was from the small-scale farmers.
So many people in Zimbabwe were educated using money that was realised from agriculture not necessarily at commercial level but at household level.
That is why as the preparations for the summer season get in full swing, those in power and those who can must never lose focus on the need to also support agriculture right from the grassroots level, which is the rural peasant farmer.
Command Agriculture is good because it is targeted and easy to monitor since you will be dealing with a few farmers but that does not mean that the other farmers will not need support too.
The main problems that small holder farmers have been facing over the years are lack of inputs and manpower.
This year it is likely to be worse because of the drought and the prevailing economic challenges.
Most people in rural areas are facing food shortages and the little money they are getting is spent on buying food.
It means most of these farmers will struggle even to raise enough to buy seed to plant on one hectare.
In the past some farmers were relying on untreated sees to plant but because they did not harvest anything last year, they are basically starting at zero.
In addition, the country is going through serious economic challenges that have seen most companies closing or scaling down.
This means that some of the workers who would naturally have supported their families in rural areas by buying them farming inputs will find it being a challenge this year.
Even those who are employed are also facing a number of challenges among them an industry which is struggling to pay them in time.
Some workers have gone for more than 10 months without salaries and it means these people might find it difficult to support their parents with farming inputs.
The country is also facing cash challenges that has seen people having difficulties accessing their money from banks.
All these factors might work against the country during these preparations for the summer season.
That is why as we are geared up for Command Agriculture, we must never forget the real foot soldiers of agriculture.
If people at household level can produce enough to feed themselves and their families, all what we will produce from the Command Agriculture programme can be used as reserve or even be exported so that the country can earn foreign currency.
In addition, there has also been cries by livestock farmers that agriculture support has always tended to favour those who are into cropping.
It is also important to note that while most parts of the country are ideal for cropping, there are those who favour livestock farming.
These farmers also need support and Government must come up with programmes that will also see these farmers benefit.
Zimbabwe used to be a major exporter of beef and this was because the country had a viable livestock industry which was also supported by the small holder farmer.
He is the same farmer who need vaccines for his cattle among others to ensure that he can produce the right and health beast which can produce the quality meat we want to export. Let us make this summer season, the turning point in Zimbabwe’s economy.
Online Reporter