Chivanga, who was the guest of honour at the just ended Mashonaland East Agriculture Show, told participants that to maximise the benefits of farming, there was need for farmers to practice conservation agriculture and grow a variety of suitable crops.
“Stop cutting down the trees and starting veld fires. This causes destruction of the environment and promotes soil erosion which is detrimental to farming activity. Preserve the environment and start growing trees now. The crop variety should be suitable for the region where you are farming. To beat unpredictable weather conditions a farm should stagger the planting of crops in case rains come either earlier or unexpectedly late. Consider crops resistant to drought such as ground nuts and tobacco,” Chivanga advised.
He encouraged farmers to invest in farming through the development of agriculture infrastructure such as dams, roads, irrigation equipment and relevant equipment.
“Develop agriculture infrastructure at the farms and use available resources efficiently and effectively.”
Speaking at the same occasion, the Zanu (PF) Governor and Resident Minister Mashonaland East, Aenius Chigwedere, thanked CBZ for being sensitive to the plight of the farmer through provision of the flexible loan facility.
“I would like to thank CBZ for coming to the rescue of the new farmer. The bank’s loan facility was quite friendly to the struggling farmer. The interest rates were the lowest among local financial institutions and the loan payment could be rolled into the following farming season if the farmer failed to produce as expected,” said Chigwedere.
This year’s agricultural show ran under the theme: ‘Empowerment through Enhanced Agriculture Production’. It was attended by more than 6 000 people.
Post published in: News