Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo, Harare Bureau
THE continuous capacitation of Agriculture Extension Officers is key to boosting the country’s agricultural production and productivity, and the Second Republic remains committed to this endeavour, President Mnangagwa has said.
As such, the President yesterday presented an assortment of vehicles, grain carriers and solar kits to Agriculture Extension Officers at State in Harare.
Addressing the media after the presentation, President Mnangagwa reaffirmed the Second Republic’s commitment to ushering a robust agriculture sector.
“I am sure you are fully aware that Zimbabwe’s economy is agriculture-based, and it is therefore critically important that we capacitate that sector. And this is evidence that we are directing our efforts to capacitate agriculture, which is the backbone of our economy,” he said.
When asked what more needed to be done to ensure a fully conducive agriculture sector, the President said there was need to ensure the right workforce was employed across the agriculture extension services spectrum.
“The main thing is to have more qualified persons to maintain the equipment that we have . . . because we can have all this equipment, and if we don’t have qualified, dedicated personnel, all this equipment will go to waste.
“It is necessary that we have the personnel that is dedicated to promoting our vision,” said President Mnangagwa.
In a separate interview, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri said the availing of the vehicles and equipment by the President, was a shot in the arm for the Agriculture Extension Officers.
“I will tell you what we probably owe now from last season…almost US$4 million, which we owe in hiring trucks from private truck people.
“We would like to thank His Excellency the President for initiating this programme,” he said.
“It will now be easier for district heads to monitor activities, implement the programmes in their districts. It will also make it easier for them to really be able to meet their targets because now they are able to implement and monitor them effectively.”
Prof Jiri alluded that extension officers had last been capacitated many years ago, until the coming in of the Second Republic.
“No one really remembers when the last time was in terms of our agricultural extension officers receiving utility vehicles.
“I think one of the oldest, who has 35 years in service, doesn’t remember ever receiving a vehicle for use so this is a
first from His Excellency and it goes a long way in capacitating the districts,” he said.
Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) chief executive officer Mr Tinotenda Mhiko said the vehicles and equipment will significantly improve supply chain efficiencies.
“Narrowing down to logistics, looking at your first mile logistics, which is your transportation of inputs from the input supplies, that is your seed, fertilisers and chemicals to our warehouses, joint venture farmers, irrigation scheme business, and last mile logistics, that is your movement of the harvested agricultural produce to the off-deck market will be improved by these vehicles.
“And ultimately it promotes timely delivery of inputs, timely planting and subsequently increased production and productivity, which in turn accelerates food self-sufficiency, food security and food sovereignty.
“And further to that, it promotes cost containment through reverse logistics, because the truck that is going to transport inputs to the farm can come back, for example with winter wheat or maize.
“It also promotes and eases liquidated pressure because it cuts down the costs of payment of hired trucks,” he said.
Mr Mhiko said the assortment of equipment will also see revenue generation through the sweating of assets.
About 34 percent of logistical costs will be saved, he added.
“Because during off-peak, instead of leaving the trucks idle, we need to sweat these assets, hire them out, generate revenue, and to achieve the favourable retain on asset and retain on investment, and subsequently creating a revolving fund to buy additional trucks.
“We have been hiring roughly about 30, 30 tonne trucks per month, and this injection, 10 by 40 tonne of trucks, will go a long way in cutting down our costs by about 34 percent per month, in terms of logistical costs,” said the Arda chief executive.
President Mnangagwa also handed over one of the vehicles to Mazowe District Agriculture Extension Officer Mr Musekiwa Murisa as part of his retirement package after 35 years of service.
“I have worked for the Ministry of Agriculture for 35 years and what has happened today is truly testament that President Mnangagwa is a visionary leader, who is leaving no one and no place behind.
I am very happy for the car, which he said is part of my exit package,” said the visibly happy Mr Murisa.
Bongani Ndlovu