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Elita Chikwati and Zvifadzo Lubombo
PREPARATIONS for this year’s summer cropping season are at an advanced stage, with stakeholders yesterday indicating their preparedness.
Sadc climate experts have predicted normal to above normal rains for Zimbabwe for the 2013/14 farming season, which has just set in.Input suppliers confirmed that there was enough seed for the season and have started distributing seed and fertilisers countrywide.
Farmers on the other hand have started mobilising inputs, while others have started land preparation.
Zimbabwe Seed Trade Association chairman Mr Walter Chigodora said seed houses were distributing 56 000 tonnes of maize seed to different outlets countrywide.
“All seed houses have a cumulative 56 000 tonnes, 52 000 is made up of hybrid seed, while 4 000 tonnes are of open-pollinated maize seed varieties. We also have 500 tonnes of white sorghum,” he said.
Seed companies said they are working on prices, promising that this year’s might be lower than last year.
A 10 kilogramme pack of seed is selling at US$22, down from last year’s US$23.
Mr Chigodora urged farmers to buy seed from reputable dealers to avoid procuring fake seed which compromises yields.
He said while fake seed appeared affordable, it was costly for the farmer due to poor yields.
Seed houses said they would continue with input programmes where civil servants and employees from different organisations would be able to buy seed on credit and pay through the stop order facility.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union second vice president Mr Berean Mukwende said: “Farmers have already begun preparing for the 2013/14 season and are concentrating on land preparation with the procurement of inputs almost complete.”
Renowned farmer Mr Donald Khumalo said while most farmers were preparing for the main cropping season, funding was a big challenges.
He said Government should come up with a facility that caters for farmers as they contribute towards the national economy.
“Farmers are the major contributors to the economy. Emphasis should therefore be out towards funding agriculture,” he said.
A number of farmers have complained year in and year out over lack of affordable funding.
Most financial institutions offer short-term loans which have high interest rates, making it unviable for most farmers.
The fertiliser industry said although it was geared for the season, power outages were disrupting production.
Windmill marketing executive Mr Wilson Gopoza said the fertiliser industry was ready for the season although he could not give the exact figures of the quantities the company had in stock.
“We are currently able to match the demand for fertiliser that we are getting. Our factory is in full production in readiness for the summer season,” he said.
Fertiliser prices range from US$30-US$38 per 50kg bag, depending on the type. Mr Gopoza said the price of fertiliser was likely to remain unchanged.
Government owes fertiliser producers more than US$32 million in unpaid debts.
Mr Gopoza said Windmill did not have any input programmes as is the situation with seed houses.
“Windmill does not have its own direct input programme. However, we are supplying various contracting companies that are running input schemes,” he said.
Outgoing Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made said Government still owed money to fertiliser companies.
He bemoaned constant power cuts that he said affected fertiliser production.
“The farmer is ready and what is critical is the mobilisation of resources,” he said.
Online Reporter