Sadc govts urged to promote farming

production.
Agriculture production in the region is now declining with some countries becoming net importers when they have the capacity to produce their own food.
Speaking after a Sadc ministers of local government farm visit at Tyronne Estates in Goromonzi yesterday, Botswana association of local authorities president, Mr Mpho Moruakgomo, said it was only in Africa where most farmers were funding their agricultural projects.

The delegation also lauded the Zimbabwean government on the way it handled the land reform programme as it has led to wars in some parts of the world.
“Policies should be pro-farming. It is time that our African governments wake up and find ways to assist farmers. I do not know anywhere except Africa where agriculture is not being subsidised.

“In Europe farmers are heavily subsidised, yet our governments are discouraged from doing so,” he said. Mr Moruakgomo said in Europe, farming is viable because of the subsidies.
“Even if there is a glut of produce on the market, the governments will buy from farmers and this keeps production high,” he said.

He said he was impressed by what he had seen at Tyronne Estate, where farming was highly successful despite the challenges being faced by the farmer, Mr Noah Mangondo.
The farmer who produces seed maize currently has 30 hectares of seedwheat and 20 hectares of commercial barley, which is being affected by constant power cuts.

The Botswana representative said such issues should be addressed by policies.
“We should have policies that give priority of power to productive sectors so that the industry will increase production,” he said.

Goromonzi North legislator and farmer, Mr Paddy Zhanda, said Government should move with speed to address challenges being faced by farmers.
“The missing link between farmers and Government is the absence of favourable policies for farming. Government should put in place policies that will promote agriculture production,” he said.

Mashonaland East governor, Cde Aeneas Chigwedere, said the farm visit by the Sadc delegation was an eye opener to “our neighbours who had been bombarded with lies by CNN.
“They now have seen the reality and have been enlightened on what is really taking place,” he said.

The governor issued out his books entitled “British betrayal of the African; land, cattle and human rights” to the visiting delegates.
He said after reading the books, the delegates would be in a position to know what really happened when the colonisers “stole our land, cattle and human rights.”

Zambian assistant director in the ministry of local government, Mr Thompson Banda, said he was impressed by what he had seen at Mr Mangondo’s farm.

“Land is our heritage. What Zimbabwe is doing is proper because political independence on its own is not enough. One cannot talk of independence when he does not control the means of production, which island,” he said.
Mr Banda said agriculture production in Zimbabwe would boost if given enough support in terms of resources were made available.
Mashonaland East province produces tobacco, maize, groundnuts, wheat, barley, paprika, cotton, small grains among other crops.

The province is also endowed with several horticultural activities such as the production of tomatoes, bananas, mangoes and carrots.