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Four of the five-member Brics group of emerging global economic powers -Brazil, Russia, India and China – are, this season, providing Zimbabwe with support to build infrastructure for our agriculture industry.We have started receiving farm equipment from Brazil under a $98 million loan facility to boost irrigation capacity. The Brazilian equipment is not geared for crop husbandry alone, but would also include tools that are relevant to livestock production to benefit farmers in drier south-western parts of the country. India will soon fund the setting up of a 10,000-hectare irrigation farm in arid but water-rich Binga.
Consistent with her thrust to construct physical economic enablers, China pledged, during President Mugabe’s recent state visit to that country, a $500 million facility to fund farm mechanisation, irrigation development and general modernisation of that sector.
Three major projects have been earmarked for implementation under the Chinese deal. Ten thousand hectares of land in Dande Valley in Mashonaland Central and parts of Manicaland will be put under irrigation and construction of a dam in that area will be financed to the tune of $195 million. In Manicaland a $194 million irrigation scheme would be set up at Osborne Dam.
There would be a mini hydro-power plant as well to be used to generate electricity to irrigate fruits, and horticultural produce on the 10,000 hectare farm.
Russia is working on its own package. Apart from the Brics members’ commitments, Turkey and the government announced an agreement in June under which the former would provide irrigation and mechanisation expertise to Zimbabwe.
A poor irrigation system and unmechanised farms have meant that our agriculture is outmoded as it is essentially rain-fed and labour-intensive. Like factories in urban areas, our agriculture sector needs an infrastructure revamp, or building new ones from scratch.
The investment that is coming from Brazil, Russia, India and China should help us now and in the long term, to complement the seasonal interventions through seed and fertiliser that our government is able to provide. A working irrigation capacity should enable us to uplift our agriculture to a modern industry that does not produce only once a year, but throughout.
That once-a-year harvest is not guaranteed as rainfall patterns are becoming more unpredictable. With irrigation, the unpredictability is minimised, and better harvests assured. More modern equipment should help us produce more efficiently and on a larger scale to boost production.
We still have time to import the irrigation components as we don’t irrigate that much during the wet season. Therefore, it can be installed later, perhaps towards harvesting next year so farmers familiarise themselves with it ahead of winter.
It is expected that the support is coming together with the necessary back-up in terms of skills to repair and maintain the machinery and irrigation installations as well as in terms of spare parts.
We realise, too, that for the new irrigation infrastructure to work, it has to be powered by electricity, the lack of which has contributed to the collapse of winter wheat production.
The power shortage is likely to be overcome in the next two years, however, as China has committed itself to a number of new electricity generation projects. Among them is the recently launched expansion of Kariba South Power Plant and dozens of smaller hydro plants across the country.
Away from physical infrastructure to softer issues, the government will, from this season, not directly subsidise farmers. Instead it would subsidise input manufacturers, who must in turn keep prices of their seed and fertiliser affordable.
The government has not yet disclosed much on what would be done pursuant to that policy shift that comes after 14 years of consistent direct public support for farmers.
We urge clarity on this very important new policy direction and it must be publicised early enough for the industry to know how the season would be funded this year.
If the government goes ahead financing manufacturers, we don’t see a challenge as producers have always produced more than enough for national consumption, but of course at a higher cost. A government subsidy will reduce their costs and stimulate expanded output.
But getting the facility running even at this early stage is not bad. Last year the presidential and government input schemes were availed on time. So when the rains came, farmers went to work immediately. That must be the approach this season.
Equipment would be accessed by farmers as individuals or groups not for free. It should be affordable, durable, repairable and usable.
It’s good that Brazil, Russia, India and China are assisting with foundational structures on which we can build our agriculture with subsidised local seed, chemicals and fertiliser.
Online Reporter