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THE country has a maize deficit of 700 000 tonnes after farmers delivered a paltry 35 000 tonnes, forcing Government to engage private players to import the deficit to sustain the nation up to the next harvesting period.
In an interview soon after touring Arda estates in Zhombe, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister Cde Davis Marapira said the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) had 157 000 tonnes of maize in store against a demand of about 500 000 tonnes required by the nation annually.
He said this was because farmers had lost confidence and were hesitant to deliver their produce to GMB owing to delays in payment.
“We have 157 000 tonnes of maize in store most of which was imported from Zambia. As of this month GMB had received 35 000 tonnes of maize. This is probably because there have been delays in the payment of farmers after delivering their crops.
However, we hope that we will be able to pay farmers before the beginning of the forthcoming summer cropping season,” he said.
Cde Marapira said only 300 000 families from last year’s 1,6 million will benefit from this year’s Presidential Input Support Scheme as Government strives to increase agricultural productivity by making inputs and implements accessible to communal and smallholder farmers.
The Presidential Input Support Scheme which covers all the country’s 10 provinces will be funded to the tune of $28 million.
“This year we are likely to assist 300 000 people with farming inputs for the 2015-2016 summer cropping season,” Cde Marapira said.
Last year’s programme, which mainly targeted farmers in communal areas as well as small-scale farmers, saw farmers getting 10kg of seed maize and two 50kg of fertiliser each, while cotton and soya bean farmers got 20kg of fertiliser and 25kg of seed, as well as small grain seed for farmers in semi-arable and drought-prone areas.
Cde Marapira said the input will be complemented by $32 million worth of agricultural implements that the country recently received from Brazil under the first phase of Zimbabwe-Brazil More Food for Africa Programme.
He said most of the equipment received included centre pivots that will go a long way in transforming communal irrigation schemes in the wake of predicted below average rainfall expected this coming season in an endeavour to partially fulfill Government’s economic blue print, Zim Asset.
“What we have realised is that farming was no longer viable in communal areas due to changing rainfall patterns as a result of climatic changes. Irrigation is the way to go. Most irrigation schemes were being under-utilised because farmers were grappling with huge electricity and water bills due to the use of archaic methods of farming,” he said.
Cde Marapira said Government was ready to take over all under-utilised irrigation schemes. He also took a swipe at some of the beneficiaries of the land reform who were unproductive yet sitting on vast tracts of land much to the detriment of the agricultural sector.
Online Reporter