BINDURA - Over 500 new farmers from Bindura, Mazowe and Shamva who received assistance under the joint input scheme between the Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) and Agriseed last farming season, have failed to settle their debts. This raises doubts over whether they have the capacity to revive the collapsed agricultural sector.
ZFU and Agriseed last season embarked on a programme to assist new farmers with inputs on a special facility targeting ZFU members in a bid to increase productivity in farms through early distribution and planting.
ZFU provincial manager Progress Musiwa confirmed that they are in a dilemma as new farmers are failing to pay back for the inputs – betraying trust with their partners in the industry.
Farmers made an undertaking to pay back in time but they are now reneging on their promise. We are having difficulties in collecting the money we are owed from farmers, said Musiwa.
He said the union has threatened to take legal action against those who breached the agreement.
A local agronomist, Terry Mangena, said most people who grabbed farms were not genuine farmers. He said there was need for the government to carry out a transparent land audit to flush out trophy farmers who were under-utilising the productive land.
Even if the government continues to dole out free inputs to these farmers for years they will not be able to resuscitate the collapsed agriculture sector to pre 1999 levels before the chaotic land reform, said Mangena. They need assistance in terms of knowledge and skills, he added.
Addressing stakeholders in the agro-business recently, Minister of Finance Tendai Biti said farmers should take farming as a serious business to improve the countrys economy.
He said government was against Zanu (PFs) idea of giving out free inputs to farmers every season, saying this had encouraged laziness and a culture of dependence among new farmers.
Post published in: News