adminCharity Ruzvidzo Chronicle Reporter
FARMERS’ organisations are negotiating with seed houses for them to access inputs on loan at affordable prices as preparations for the 2014/15 agricultural season gather momentum. Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president Wonder Chabikwa said his organisation was in discussions with seed houses to reduce input prices and avail affordable loan terms for farmers.
“We’re engaging seed and fertiliser suppliers to reduce their prices or sell their products to us on loan. Farmers will then pay back when they sell their products by the end of season,” he said.
“This is mainly meant for the large scale farmers who deal with maize and small grains. We want to ensure that no land is left idle due to shortage of fertiliser or seed.”
Chabikwa said farmers needed support to be able to produce desired yields and meeting national targets.
“Farming is a business that needs financing especially considering that farmers produce food for the country. Large scale farmers are not able to finance themselves so this initiative to engage seed firms is a step towards reducing the cost of production that farmers incur,” he added.
Chabikwa commended the government’s continued support for agriculture, a critical sector in the food and nutrition cluster under Zim-Asset.
“In the mid-term policy review Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa promised to capacitate 1,600,000 communal, old resettlement, former small scale purchase areas to be self-sufficient in food through provision of agriculture inputs valued at $184,8 million,” he recalled.
Last week, a $2,4 billion agricultural fund was launched by a local organisation, Lasch Enterprises and Zanu-PF Youth League to help address youth unemployment and food security.
The Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Dr Joseph Made, said the joint venture complements government efforts to support small holder farmers who are the cornerstone of local agriculture.
He said maize, small grains, sugar beans, cotton and livestock were set to benefit from the Lasch/Zanu-PF Youth League fund.
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