Farmers urged to plant early

Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
THE Government has challenged farmers in Matabeleland South to utilise farm inputs effectively by planting on time in order to stand a chance of producing enough food and avert hunger in the province.
In a speech read on his behalf by Mangwe District Administrator, Mrs Felistas Gangada at the Matabeleland South provincial launch of Isiphala Senkosi/Zunde Ramambo tillage programme at Tshitshi on Thursday, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Cde Abedinico Ncube said early planting could go a long way to ensuring better harvests in the drought-prone province.

“Food security can only be guaranteed if we do land preparation and planting on time. Once we do this as we approach the rainy season we can push back the frontiers of hunger and famine permanently.

“The Government desires a situation where each household has enough food stocks for both domestic consumption as well as surplus for the market,” said Cde Ncube.

He urged communities to eliminate poverty by fighting food shortage.
Cde Ncube said the launch of the programme had set the tone for villagers to work on their fields.

“The launch of the programme through chiefs signals the importance of traditional leaders in leading the way to better sustenance as far as food security is concerned. With this programme that is being launched, the chief becomes the food custodian for the vulnerable in the community. It has also set a tone that the ploughing season is upon us. All communities should be seized with clearing their fields in order to plant. This land preparation should begin in earnest anticipation for rains,” he said.

Cde Ncube said there was a need for organisations that equipped the lives of rural communities to be fully capacitated.
“We have organisations such as the District Development Fund (DDF) which are on a mission to uplift the standard of living of rural folk through various programmes such as the one we are launching. Working in the fields remains a major component of poverty alleviation and the DDF facilitates this critical component. I appeal to the Government to strengthen organisations like the DDF as it needs to be equipped adequately in order to channel rural development,” he said.

In an interview, DDF provincial coordinator for Matabeleland South, Mr Douglas Dube said the tillage programme would also be launched in all districts of the province.

“The programme that we are launching in Tshitshi area under Mangwe District is the first for the province. The programme has been running in other districts and now it has spilled into Matabeleland South.

“It will be launched in the other six districts of the province as this programme is meant to benefit vulnerable people nationwide through providing them with a food source,” he said.

Mr Dube said chiefs in all communities in the province had been advised to set aside land for this purpose.
“We availed five tractors which are working on six hectares in the chief’s field. These six hectares of land will serve as a bread basket for vulnerable people in this community such as the elderly, orphaned children and disabled people.

“We have advised all chiefs within the province to set aside land for this purpose as well,” he said.
At the same event, Mangwe MP, Cde Obedingwa Mguni officially launched the 2013-2014 Presidential Well-wishers Input Scheme for the district.

He urged community leaders to desist from selling farm inputs to villagers as they were entitled to receiving them for free.
Cde Mguni said the Government would closely monitor the programme to ensure that the inputs would be properly distributed.