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Kudzanai Gerede
EXACTLY 14 years ago, the country embarked on a massive land reform programme which sent waves across the globe and earned the country more friends than enemies.Like any other noble initiative, it was inevitable to elude the complexities that would come with the new dispensation, hence the agriculture sector which is the country’s economic mainstay would traverse a rugged terrain for a few years that followed plunging the country’s economy into a crisis before the realisation of the ultimate goal of ensuring food securing through the country’s own native farmers.
Of course, the lean years the country succumbed to in the first decade of the new millennium where not of self-making as plenty of factors came to play especially with the western hegemonic dictates such as the imposition of illegal economic sanctions played centre stage worsened by changes in the weather patterns and a series of droughts.
Today, the country celebrates the success of the land reform programme, thanks to last year’s good rains and Government support in subsidising inputs to the agricultural sector which had been halted during the days of the Inclusive Government.
“Today, Zimbabwe has attained national food self-sufficiency following last season’s bumper harvest during which the country surpassed the 1,4 million tonnes target in gain and maize production,” said President Mugabe while officially opening the 104th edition of the Harare Agricultural Show recently.
National food self-sufficiency is a key goal of the economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation, one of whose key clusters identifies food security and nutrition as key drivers of economic revival.
“We are glad that our maize and grain production is set to surpass 1,4 million tonnes, enough to ensure national food self-sufficiency. For the first time after many years of drought, Zimbabwe has now attained this level of production.”
“Tobacco production also continued on an upward trend, now being valued at over $676 million from 167 million kilogrammes realised during the 2012-2013 season.
“Generally, cotton, sugar and horticultural crops did slightly better than in the last season. Overall crop production is much more improved this season.
“We hope this trend will continue,” President Mugabe said.
Government has been threatening the resettled farmers of repossessing of underutilised farms as they are not in tandem with national objectives of producing sufficient food for the people and many have attributed government robust stance as the key drive to this year’s highly commendable production.
It is, however, critical to note that despite the high yields realised this year, there is need for value addition if the country was to intensively harness from the raw products it produces.
Zimbabwe remains one of neighbouring South Africa’s leading importer of finished goods, a trend that is shortchanging the country’s industry as it is forced to compete with foreign products which are usually cheaper than locally produced products.
Through value addition the country benefits immensely through opening of manufacturing plants of secondary products from the raw produce supplied by the local farms which will bring about the much needed employment in the country and will in turn enable the industrial competitiveness to boost the economy.
History has always been the story of victors, in our case we can safely record the land reform as our success story.
Online Reporter