Chronicle Editor
Mashudu Netsianda in Jotsholo
Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has urged farmers to diversify their agricultural activities so that there is value addition and limited chances of recording losses in their enterprises.
VP Chiwenga was speaking soon after touring Arda Jotsholo Irrigation scheme in Matabeleland North.
The scheme, a joint venture between Arda and Mr Ian Brent le Roux, is involved in horticulture, cattle farming and piggery, with 200 hectares of land having been put under winter wheat cropping.
During his visit, VP Chiwenga was impressed by the farming activities being undertaken at the farm.
VP Chiwenga said the private sector should complement Government in addressing the issue of food security and warned that in light of Covid-19 there was need for the country to put more emphasis on self-sufficiency in terms of food production.
He also urged farmers in areas surrounded by dams and rivers to utilise the water bodies to enhance agricultural productivity.
“What we have seen here is the diversification where the farming activities in this estate are not confined to one area because if you are confined to one area, the danger is that if anything goes wrong you will have big losses.
“We have seen diversification from the production of seed maize, commercial maize, sorghum among other small grains horticulture and piggery and this is a value addition scheme,” he said.
The farm also does maize milling contributing to national food security.
“This is what we want all farmers to follow as an example in terms of value addition and this project of maize milling will ensure that the province doesn’t run out of mealie-meal.
“We are quite impressed by Arda Jotsholo and I am also happy to hear that you are also interested in joining Government and other foreign investors in the projects that we’re going to embark on along the Zambezi River such as Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme,” he said.
“Everything possible for the investor to come into the project will be done by Government such as land clearing which the Lands and Finance Ministries are undertaking so that when the investor comes on board with their equipment, they immediately go straight into production.”
VP Chiwenga said farmers should play their part in ensuring that Zimbabwe reclaims its position as the region’s bread basket.
“We need to be self-sufficient in producing nutritious food for our people and be the breadbasket for the region including the continent. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to do it because we have that capacity,” he said.
The VP also commended farmers who heeded Government’s call for the promotion of the winter wheat programme.
The programme is being funded by Government and the private sector to the tune of $3,2 billion.
VP Chiwenga said the destruction of transformers and rampant theft of copper cables is impacting negatively on the survival of irrigation farming and economic growth.
He issued a stern warning to culprits, saying their days were numbered.
The country has so far recorded 3 000 cases of vandalised transformers.
The VP said irrigation schemes rely heavily on power to function and implored community members and traditional leaders to work with police in safeguarding and protecting the infrastructure from thieves.
He said the law allows members of the public to effect citizen arrest.
“We have thieves who are giving us sleepless nights and so far, we have had 3 000 transformers, which were stolen by vandals and this is not a joke.
“Their days are numbered and as Government we will have no mercy for such people who are sabotaging our economy,” he said.
“If you are caught the police will have no mercy and we’re saying death to the thief and survival to our transformers. It doesn’t make sense to steal public property and it is pure madness and selfishness.
“We don’t want thieves to continue stealing and vandalising transformers, which are important assets for the development of our country’s value addition schemes and this must come to an end.”
Online Reporter