admindepending on donations.
He was speaking at a conservation agriculture field day organised by the Cluster Agricultural Development Services recently at Chihwai homestead in Zanga Village.
“Lets us emulate ants that work hard and source their own food. Zimbabwe was once a Sadc breadbasket and we can retain the status if we work hard,” he said.
Cde Mudarikwa castigated Non-Governmental Organisations who were fighting for regime change instead of helping people.
He applauded CADS for assisting people in Uzumba with knowledge on conservation agriculture and assisting them with some inputs.
“It is better to give people seed and inputs than dishing out food handouts. CADS assisted 4 600 households last year, and this year they are assisting more than 6 000 families. Through CADS projects, farmers are growing soya beans, maize and other small grains under conservation agriculture,” he said.
He said CADS was empowering farmers by facilitating value addition to the variety of crops grown by farmers who have undergone processing trainings.
Cde Mudarikwa said it was disturbing that Zimbabwe was now importing food from Zambia and Malawi when it had able-bodied people in the country.
“We cannot survive on borrowed or imported food,” he said.
Government is importing 150 000 tonnes of maize from Zambia under a Government to Government arrangement, while Malawi has also exported maize to Zimbabwe.
Speaking at the same function, Uzumba Agriculture Extension Officer, Mr Isaac Zvirevo, encouraged farmers to practice conservation agriculture to reduce the effects of climate change.
“The rainfall pattern is no longer predictable and we need to move with technology to boost production,” he said.
Mr Betserayi Chihwayi was crowned the Pioneer conservation agriculture best farmer receiving a plough and bags of gypsum fertilizer donated by Cde Mudarikwa.
The farmer also got a wheel barrow and bags of fertilisers from Pioneer Company.
Online Reporter