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Edgar Vhera Agriculture Specialist Writer
IN a move anchored on its erstwhile promise, Cottco is actualising its 2023 agriculture creed and theme titled Going4Growth as they use figures on what farmers delivered last season to determine what they get for the 2022/23 term.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Dr John Basera said this in his season’s message.
“As we warm up to the 2023 creed and theme Going4Growth, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a productive and yielding happy 2023. This will be ‘Christmas in the fields’ but again time to Reflect, Refresh, Reset and Recharge as we gear for the new 2023 season.
“Under Handei Kumunda Varimi, Asambeni Emasimini Balimi, Going4Growth will be our buzz maxim,” said Dr Basera.
Best cotton farmer for the 2021/22 season, Mr Smart Kambanje of Nembudziya under Chief Makore in Gokwe district revealed that Cottco was giving farmers inputs on the basis of seed cotton deliverances to their depots last season.
“A farmer who sold less than three bales (below 600kg) is getting inputs enough to plant on 0, 5ha,while those who delivered three bales are getting inputs to plant on one hectare.
“Those who delivered more will also get more on a pro-rata basis. For delivering 8 500kg from my two hectares I was supplied with inputs enough to do 6ha, all of which I have since planted. I have two hectares under the high-yielding Mahyco hybrid,” said Mr Kambanje.
Efforts to get a comment from Cottco on the matter were unsuccessful, as their landlines were not being picked while cell phones were not reachable.
Although subscribing to the theme, Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) secretary general Mr Paul Zakariya said it was not hectarage that mattered, but productivity.
“It does not benefit the country much to spread inputs over a wide area and end up achieving the current low national average yields of between 300 to 350kg per hectare for cotton or about 800kg for maize.
“What is crucial is to target productive beneficiaries who will be supplied with enough input packages for optimal yields. By practicing the right agronomic practices after planting on time such farmers realise increased yields to boost the agriculture revolution,” said Mr Zakariya.
Mr Zakariya went on to say that blanket disbursement of inputs to all households would produce sub-optimal yields, as people are endowed with different talents. Some may decide to sell inputs for quick money while others, within the same locality, will be patient enough to apply all the inputs for high yields yet the former will not produce anything because they lack the farming acumen, he added.
“It is my firm belief that Government projects must target beneficiaries with farming skills in input utilisation while those vulnerable and without farming knowledge would just get food aid.
“However, to prevent laziness, they have to work to get the food. This creates employment over time and even the constituency development funds (CDF) can be used in food for work programmes,” added Mr Zakariya.
Online Reporter