Timely access to inputs key to successful season: Cde Bimha
2 min read
By Margaret Kamba
ZANU PF Acting Secretary for Information and Publicity Cde Mike Bimha says the timely availability of farming inputs is crucial for a successful summer cropping season.
With Zimbabwe being a largely an agrarian state, so much investment has been put in place to ensure that the formerly landless black majority contribute meaningfully to the growth of their economy. Many men and women were maimed while others died and are unaccounted for, as they fought to take back the land that was rightfully theirs.
The notion that when the colonizer settled in this country, he automatically began to produce bumper harvests is ill-conceived and history shows that many of them were financed and failed to pay back loans they acquired for the work done on the farms.
The white man knows that in farming there is wealth which is why he made sure to stifle any form of investment after the Land Reform Programme hence the imposition of sanctions on banks like Agribank. Such programmes as the Presidential Input Scheme and the farm mechanization programmes over the years have contributed towards reduced maize imports and food security. This is why it has been important to finance agriculture through such banks as Agribank now AFC because agriculture is a business.
Cde Bimha noted that this year’s summer cropping season comes on the backdrop of a good previous season hence the need to continue with the trend.
“Success breeds success and with the last season having been successful with good rains and a bumper harvests, people are so motivated. The pfumvudza model has been good and we see this now expanding to other crops. It is crucial therefore that the availability of inputs is timely and that they are affordable,” Cde Bimha said.
“It is encouraging to also note that quite a lot of young people, men and women are getting into farming and have many innovative ideas and are growing crops we have never grown before for export purposes.
“As a livestock farmer, one hopes the capitalization of AFC will enable us to acquire equipment as we have limitations in terms of machinery.”
The Meteorological Services Department has forecasted a good rainfall season for the period 2021-2022 with a normal to above normal rainfall patterns. With the right knowledge applied, inputs made available and good rains, Zimbabwe is on the road to be food self-sufficient.
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