adminAll indications are that the 2013/14 agricultural season will be a good one, especially after stakeholders in the sector assured the nation this week that they are ready to roll.
What is needed now is proper planning and the implementation of strategies to ensure the farming season is a success.
We have noticed in the past, especially during the era of the inclusive Government that the stakeholders would assure the nation of their preparedness, but were always found wanting when it came to the crunch.
Partly to blame was the then Finance Minister Tendai Biti, an MDC-T secretary general and well known anti-land reform proponent, who came up with skewed pronouncements on farming that were aimed at frustrating new farmers.
As Finance Minister Mr Biti blatantly refused to support farmers in a bid to justify his party’s position on discrediting land reform.
Now that Mr Biti has been put aside by Zanu-PF’s massive win in the harmonised elections on July 31, we are looking forward to a good season, with the Government’s support for farmers expected to increase.
There should be no room for complacency, especially after the Meteorological Services Department has predicted normal to above normal rainfall this season.
The anticipated good rains must spur our farmers and input suppliers to do better this time around to ensure that there is food security in the country.
The new Zanu-PF Government and farmers should urgently hold a stakeholders meeting to formulate strategies that will see the optimum use of all the land, equipment and other resources available for the season.
We must put our heads together and spur our economy to a higher level of excellence and this starts with a successful agricultural season.
This entails expending all efforts to make our farmers productive so as to feed the nation.
Zanu-PF must quickly fix the misnomer that this country has turned into a net food importer when it is endowed with rich soils and vast tracts of arable land, skilled farmers and industries that manufacture all the requisite fertilisers and other inputs.
After all, we need to increase productivity on farms also as a way of fulfilling the aspirations of our people.
Why should Zimbabwe import maize when, a few years ago, communal farmers could by themselves produce enough to feed the whole country while commercial farmers produced largely for export?
All we need to do is ensure that our farmers have greater resolve to produce and maximise on the land they were allocated to them.
We are happy to note that preparations for this year’s summer cropping season are at an advanced stage, with stakeholders already indicating their preparedness.
Input suppliers confirmed this week that there is 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 preparations.
The Zimbabwe Seed Trade Association actually said seed houses are distributing 56 000 tonnes of maize seed to different outlets countrywide of which 52 000 tonnes is made up of hybrid seed, while 4 000 tonnes are of open-pollinated maize seed varieties.
This will be enough to see through the season considering that the country needs between 42 000 and 45 000 tonnes of seed, while between 300 000 and 400 000 tonnes of fertiliser are required.
With such efforts from the stakeholders, so much can be done in a very short space of time to transform the state in the agricultural sector to one that can be a global case study.
The economy has largely been agro-based and the poor performance of the agricultural sector has had a telling effect on the economy at large, but with much resolve, that Zimbabwe can return to its breadbasket status is no fallacy at all.
It is a dream that can be realised starting with this season.
We also bask in the delight of assurances from newly re-appointed Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made that not much hurdles are expected this season.
But Zimbabwe can do with an urgent supplementary budget mainly prioritising the agricultural season.
Online Reporter