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Harare, Monday November 18, 2013 (New Ziana)-The Government will meet agricultural stakeholders later this month to work out strategies to balance farming of cash crops and non-cash crops to avert food shortage, an official has said.
A huge number of farmers have of late shifted from farming non-cash crops such as maize in favour of tobacco which brings instant cash.
This has led the Ministry of Agriculture to convene a meeting with stakeholders to chart the way forward.
“If there is a shortage of some of these cash crops the country will not import but if there is a shortage of maize the country is forced to import since it is our staple food,” Grain Marketing Board (GMB) general manager Albert Mandizha said.
On their part, farmers have accused the Government of failing to pay them for maize and other food crop deliveries to the GMB, forcing them to switch to cash crops.
But Mandizha said GMB was hoping that Government will, through the national budget for 2014, provide enough funds for it to be able to pay farmers on time this year.
As another strategy to restore Zimbabwe’s bread basket status, he suggested a semi-command agricultural system to avert food shortages.
“This is where every A2 farmer must deliver at least two tonnes of maize to the Grain Marketing Board which will be paid for and must be mandatory so that if one does not produce he or she will provide the board with money,” he said. – New Ziana.
Online Reporter