adminConrad Mwanawashe Business Reporter
SMALL scale farmers are being crowded out of the market by cheap food imports which are hitting hard on their revenues, a situation that has forced them to sell to unscrupulous middlemen. Of particular concern to farmers is that while production costs in Zimbabwe have become too high since dollarisation, food products imported especially from South African are landing at lower prices due to a weaker rand.
The farmers have implored Government to ring fence the sector by imposing high import duty and taxes on imports which can be produced locally.
Traders selling those food imports in United States dollars were drawing huge profits compared to local farmers who toil for months investing their hard earned resources.
They argued that while the traders were making profits on the products, they also benefited on exchange gains as they import products from South Africa using the rand.
The rand is currently trading weaker at 11 rand to the US dollar.
Farmers from Mashonaland East, the bedrock for horticulture, lamented the impact the cheap imports are having on their revenue.
Last week, young farmers explained to some Government officials who were on a field visit on projects being carried out by beneficiaries of the Skills for Youth Employment and Rural Development in Mutoko how cheap imports were negatively affecting their businesses.
The delegation comprised the Deputy Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Mathias Tongofa, Minister of State for Mashonaland East, Simbaneuta Mudarikwa, Mutoko South Member of Parliament, David Chapfika, International Labour Organisation director Mr Alphonse Tabi-Abodo and Danish Ambassador Mr Erik Brogger Rasmussen among other dignitaries.
Mr Misheck Chihwai, a groundnut farmer told the delegation that while the young people had been empowered, their earnings were hugely being whipped out by traders selling the cheap imports.
“I urge our leaders not to allow imported products from other countries. Those products are killing our industry,” Mr Chihwai said.
While the youth had been “taught to fish” and transformed from subsistence farmers to commercial farmers, protection for their investment was necessary for them to realise profits.
Mr Chapfika said farmers must be protected from the vagaries of the international market.
“We must support small scale farmers. They can’t sell their products because they are being crowded out of the market by the imports especially from South Africa. We are going to pursue vigorously that agro-products be negatively listed,” said Mr Chapfika.
Another farmer said that they were facing several challenges and that the Government must prioritise the protection of local producers in order to spur economic development.
Online Reporter