The Sunday Mail
Tendai Chara and Livingstone Marufu
AS preparations for the 2016-17 summer cropping agricultural season intensify, Government is introducing a raft of measures to improve food security and reduce grain imports.Among some of the measures is the Targeted Command Agriculture scheme, better known as command agriculture.
Under the scheme, 2 000 farmers whose farms are near water bodies and each have the capacity to put a minimum of 200 hectares under maize, are set to get loans in the form of irrigation equipment, inputs, chemicals and mechanised equipment.
The loans will also cover water and electricity charges.
Participating farmers are required to commit five tonnes per hectare towards repayment of the loans, with the farmer retaining all surplus for personal use.
The farmers are each mandated to produce at least 1 000 tonnes of maize.
According to estimates, the country needs 2,4 million metric tonnes of grain annually for human and livestock consumption.
Farmers applauded the introduction of the programme but highlighted a number of issues that need to be ironed out for the successful implementation of the programme.
For the programme to succeed, the farmers say it must be supported by all stakeholders, among them Government, the private sector and financial institutions, among other service providers
Stakeholders said the introduction of the programme will result in the country retaining the bread basket of Africa status.
The standards of living in the rural areas will also be improved.
Mr Wonder Chabikwa, the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union (ZCFU) president, said the programme is noble and will transform the agricultural sector.
“We hope everyone will contribute towards the success of the programme and given the potential of the programme, the country’s total requirement of 1,8 million tonnes of maize will be realised, leaving the country with a surplus of 200 000 tonnes.”
“This means the country won’t be importing maize anymore. Instead, we will be exporting a bit from the surplus and all the grain that had been delivered to the Grain Marketing Board.
“All we need is to see ordinary farmers with a lot of potential benefiting from that programme rather than the already established farmers benefiting from this programme.
Mr Chabikwa said beneficiaries must be selected on merit.
“In the past, we have had undeserving farmers benefiting from such programmes. They ended up abusing the facilities. Beneficiaries must be selected on merit, capability and experience,” Mr Chabikwa said.
Added Mr Chabikwa: “This programme is lagging behind. The beneficiaries should have been given the inputs by now. Land preparations should have been made but nothing has been done so far. In my view, this programme is very good on paper but running a bit late,” Mr Chabikwa said.
Mr Paul Zakariya, the Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union (ZFU) principal director also welcomed the programme.
He called for an increase in the number of beneficiaries from the proposed 2 000 so that those without large sources of water will be incorporated.
“With everything in place, the programme will be benefiting everyone in the country but there is need to increase the number from 2 000 farmers to almost every farmer near a large source of water,” Mr Zakariya said.
Government statistics show that national food insecurity has risen from an average of 12 percent in 2011 to 42 percent in 2016 with 4 million people in need of food aid.
Maize production has declined to 700 000 metric tonnes a year, a third of production 10 years ago.
Farmers that are successfully producing other crops will not be compelled to produce maize.
Issues to do with the selection criteria, side marketing, monitoring and the farmers’ capacity to produce where raised by farmers.
“This is a very noble idea. However, in my view, I think most farmers do not have both the capacity and experience to meet the set targets. The targets are, however, realistic,” said Mr Ngoni Mutambwa, a Zvimba farmer. Mr Mutambwa said beneficiaries must be monitored from the day they are given the inputs up until they market their produce.
“A monitoring system must be introduced. From planting, weed control, crop assessments. Dams must also be maintained and the water levels monitored. We do not want situations in which dams dry up,” he added.
He said farmers should be protected against unnecessary electricity disconnections by signing contracts with the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company, which compels the power utility to pay damages in the event that it fails to timeously avail electricity.
Mr Felix Nyamayaro, an agricultural economist, said Government must look at ways of dealing with farmers that have outstanding debts.
“Some intended beneficiaries might be carrying debts that they might have accrued during the Zimbabwe dollar era. Government must be careful when dealing with such farmers,” Mr Nyamayaro said.
Meanwhile, Government has also introduced the National Livestock Strategy which is aimed at resuming beef exports to the European Union, the Middle East and other markets.
The programme will see the revival of the national herd with farmers in Matabeleland, which is the country’s prime cattle-producing area, benefit- ing.
In the past, Government introduced food security mitigation programmes such as the Agriculture Mechanisation Programme which was launched by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
Operation Maguta, which was spearheaded by the Zimbabwe National Army in 2005, helped boost production on farms.
