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Sithandazile Moyo Business Reporter
FARMER organisations have expressed optimism that if policies outlined in the 2014 national budget are implemented, food security in the country can be guaranteed.In an interview, ZFU second vice president Berean Mukwende said it was now imperative for the Government to work on ensuring that implementation of the policy direction.
“The policy direction of the budget is good, we hope that it is going to be fully implemented to yield the desired results,” he said.
He said the policy is very clear on what needs to be done but the main worry is on how and where the resources will come from.
Some of the policies announced in the 2014 national budget include the need to rehabilitate and operationalise irrigation schemes.
In support of the policy to rehabilitate and operationalise idle communal irrigation schemes, Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa, in the fiscal policy statement set aside $9,4 million.
He noted the need to promote agro-processing and support local wheat farmers to qualify under rules of origin for purposes of preference.
Mukwende said if the irrigation schemes are rehabilitated it will go a long way in increasing production which will lead to the realisation of the goals outlined in the budget.
“The rehabilitation of irrigation schemes is important and it will help the farmers to increase production which will mean self sufficiency,” he said.
Mukwende said producing and milling wheat locally would benefit farmers but the cost of production was being affected by electricity charges.
He said it was important for farmers to be subsidised for Zesa to help farmers reduce production costs.
“The move by the minister is very positive and supports local farmers, however something needs to be done to reduce production costs, there is need to subsidise farmers for Zesa charges which are too high and not affordable to many farmers,” said Mukwende, adding that because of high production costs that the farmers incur, some were abandoning growing wheat.
The Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president Wonder Chabikwa echoed similar sentiments. However, he said it was unfortunate that in the 2014 fiscal policy statement that the funding allocation to the agriculture sector did not meet the 10 percent of the total annual budget.
“This is largely because of the limited fiscal space that the Government is facing. Despite the financial challenges that the economy is presently facing, our country has a comparative advantage over other countries taking into consideration that we are endowed with plenty of mineral resources.
“Mining should be supporting agriculture by enabling government to use mineral earnings to buy modern agricultural implements to boost farming in the country.
“As farmers we are happy that the Finance Minister also announced policies aimed to boost production in the mining sector. For example, he decriminalised mining activities by artisanal miners (ositsheketsha/makorokoza), that should see a lot of gold going to Government and the revenue from mining being used to fund key sectors of the economy such as agriculture,” he said.
Online Reporter