adminMidlands Correspondent
Vice President Joice Mujuru has challenged land reform beneficiaries to ensure maximum land use, thereby enabling Government to alleviate poverty and hunger.She said this was critical to the fulfilment of the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation.
Addressing members of the Zanu-PF Midlands Women’s League during a provincial conference held in Gweru yesterday, VP Mujuru said it was disheartening to note that some beneficiaries of the land reform were underutilising land.
“Our first cluster in the Zim- Asset is to ensure food security at household level. This comes through increasing food production. There are those people who benefited from the land reform, but they are failing to produce enough food as expected. In some instances, these beneficiaries do not have know how on which crops or what type of farming is suitable for their land.”
“Some are even failing to maintain the infrastructure that was left by white farmers. When we allocated you land either A1 or an A2 farm, we did not say go and destroy the infrastructure that you found there. Continue with production. Kana paiitwa mombe ita mombe nekuti zvinorwadza kuona kuti vamwe vanhu vakawana minda vanosvika voputsa zviripo zviya. Let us utilise the land and increase food production.”
It had emerged that some of the new farmers were failing to maintain the infrastructure they found in place when they took over from white former farmers.
She said the Midlands province was doing better than most because many farmers continued with dairy farming, which was more suitable for the area.
She also said there was need for farmers to be paid promptly after delivering their produce to markets, adding this would enable farmers to buy inputs.
On its part, the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development was responsible for ensuring increased food production by imparting the necessary knowledge to farmers.
Vice President Mujuru said the Ministry of Agriculture should support farmers and avoid delays in paying for produce sold to the Grain Marketing Board.
“I am challenging Minister (Joseph) Made to ensure that our farmers are equipped with necessary information on how to increase food production.
“Let us make use of our extension officers, they should impart knowledge to the people. We should not take long to pay farmers for their produce. I also want Industry and Commerce Minister (Mike) Bimha to provide information to farmers on which farm produce can be utilised by our industries,” she said.
Cde Mujuru challenged women to participate and benefit from indigenisation and empowerment programmes.
Online Reporter