The Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCTU) Public Relations Officer, Blessing Mundure, said the union was working with the government to assist farmers to access generators.
“We need generators to assist in drawing water when there is no electricity. The government promised to help us buy them.” The farmers will pay for the generators in an affordable arrangement that wont strain them financially. “The generators are not given out for free. We are targeting serious farmers and assess, in terms of capacity, if the farmer will be able to pay for the generator,” he said.
In previous seasons farmers have been affected by power cuts as the country’s power utility, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), battles to provide enough power for the country. Last year, the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Dr Joseph Made, told parliament that severe electricity shortages were affecting the country’s chances of harvesting a winter wheat crop that will ease food shortages.
“I want to emphasize that for those that will be going into the winter wheat crop, you have to make sure that you have adequate water, but mainly that electricity will be available,” Dr Made said in response to another lawmaker’s question in the house of assembly. The Minister said power cuts had affected irrigation and halved crop yields per acre.
Post published in: News