MPs urged to initiate projects

household level in their different constituencies.
Minister of State in VP Joice Mujuru’s office, Sylvester Nguni said legislators should not wait to roll out Government relief food programmes. He made the remarks at a farmers prize giving day held at Juru Growth Point in Murewa last Friday.
“Farming is the biggest occupation in the rural areas where the majority of our people live so it must be supported to boost food security both at the household and national levels.
“It is also through selling their surplus produce that farmers earn some income and contribute to the resuscitation of industry at the same time,” he said.
Minister Nguni said it was against this background that legislators needed to be innovative and promote agricultural productivity without always turning to Government for assistance.
“Government has a lot of commitments at the moment but has very little in terms of resources so achieving food security without its involvement would allow the available resources to be channelled elsewhere, for instance, repairing of vital communal infrastructure like schools, clinics, dip tanks and roads.
“If all of the country’s 210 legislators were to initiate projects to boost food security in their different constituencies, that would take some pressure off Government leaving room for other important developmental issues,” he said.
The prize giving day was organised by Goromonzi North house of assembly member Cde Paddy Zhanda.
“This is an annual event in which we reward the farmer and the extension worker for their good work throughout the season. It starts on the ward level in which the best farmers get carts, ploughs, cultivators and harrows.
“There are nine wards involved in the competition and each farmer has to have at least a hectare of land to enter the competition,” he said.
Cde Zhanda added that last Friday’s event was the final one in which winners were competing at constituency level.
“Those farmers who excelled in the ward competitions together with their extension officers are the ones battling it out here,” said Cde Zhanda.
The farmer who scooped the first prize went away with 10 bags of fertilizer, five of Compound D and the remainder of Ammonium Nitrate, 25kg of seed from Seed Co and five bags of 50 000 kernels of seed each from Pioneer Seed Company.
On the other hand, the best extension worker walked away with US$350, a 10kg packet of maize seed and a sun hat.
Cde Zhanda said the competition was designed to encourage competitive production that is healthy for the country’s agro-based economy.
“Rural farmers are doing national duty and should be assisted in their quest to promote national prosperity. After all people with adequate food and a good socio-economic reality are easy to govern.
“Food security reduces thefts, social ills and other vices related to deprivation,” said Cde Zhanda.