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Cde Matonga said he was concerned that several banks operating at the auction floors were not willing to fund agriculture.
“Banks are making profits from the agriculture industry. We have seen the sprouting of banks but surprisingly they are not funding agriculture.
“We heard that the banks are making US$300 000 a month, an amount that other branches that are operating in the central business district are not realising,” he said.
Cde Matonga said these banks were charging high interest rates, which they were not ploughing back to the agriculture industry.
“We are going to meet with the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe so that we see how they can come up with mechanisms to fund agriculture. We cannot have a situation whereby banks come to reap what they did not sow,” he said.
Most tobacco growers, he said, were small scale and therefore did not require huge amounts of money for their framing projects.
Tobacco growers have always complained over the absence of input schemes and funding programmes for tobacco production.
This has resulted in many of the growers opting for contract growing where they are supplied with seed, fertilisers and chemicals.
The farmers, however, complained that the contractors rip them off as the inputs are pegged at exorbitant prices.
The parliamentary committee toured all tobacco auction floors namely Boka Tobacco Floor, Millennium Tobacco Floor, Tobacco Sales Floor and Premier Tobacco Floor.
The delegation included members of parliament for Hurungwe East, Cde Sarah Mahoka, Muzarabani South, Cde Edward Raradza, Chipinge South, Mr Meki Makuyana, Bikita South Mr Vharandeni Jani, Mbare, Piniel Denga, Gwanda South, Mr Orders Mlilo and Gwanda Central, Mr Patrick Dube.
The chairman of the committee, Mr Joseph Jiri said the tour was meant to see if the auction floors had adhered to the standards set by the portfolio committee last year.
“Last year farmers had problems with marketing their crop and they did not have decent accommodation.
“We have seen that all the floors have improved their service delivery and farmers now have adequate health facilities including clinics and canteens,” he said.
Cde Jiri said he was impressed by the state of things at the auction floors.
He, however, mentioned that some auction floors still needed to improve toilets and bathing rooms among other things.
Tobacco growers at the auction floors said they were impressed by the provision of up to standard services and the improvement in prices.
Most of the farmers said the prices being offered at the auction floors would see them going back to the land without any difficulties.
Tobacco has become one of the favourable crops to farmers as maize and cotton growers still face challenges marketing their produce.
Cotton growers complain of unfair treatment by contractors while most maize growers have to endure for several months waiting for their money from the Grain Marketing Board.
Zimbabwe is slowly moving towards regaining its status as one of the major tobacco producers globally.
Online Reporter