Discriminatory farm input distribution continues unabated

The rainy season started and better-off villagers prepared fields and planted early crops for the 2010-2011 growing season. But the long-awaited truckloads of sponsored inputs never arrived. He spoke to JANE MAKONI.

Like other helpless villagers in his situation, any hope of planting a maize crop this season evaporates with each passing day. Starvation in the near future is inevitable. A desolate Murimi narrated how badly he felt betrayed by both government and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector:

Not long ago, government promised that vulnerable rural communities would benefit from subsidized inputs. We were even assured some of the inputs would be accessed through a voucher system or projects like food-for-work schemes.

While the responsible ministers promises were still ringing in our ears and the ink on newspapers which helped to communicate the assurances to farming communities was yet to dry, rains have come and no government promise has materialized.

Traditionally, such input schemes would be carried out through the Grain Marketing Board (GMB). Recently we were surprised to learn that GMB delivered inputs were accessed only by farmers who had delivered some produce to their depots in the past.

Surprisingly, beneficiaries of the arrangement were chosen by local headmen who selected close associates and relatives. They had never delivered anything to GMB. Under the scheme headmen would nominate some villagers who would access two 50 kilogram bags of fertilizer and a 10 kilogram pocket of seed maize at $35. As usual, greedy and selfish traditional leadership continued to benefit exclusively from the input schemes.

As the $35 hamper farm input project caused nightmares among communal farmers, there were reports that fertilizer and seed meant for other farmers was being looted and diverted from intended beneficiaries outside GMB depots across the country.

Village leadership collecting inputs at GMB would divert some seed and fertilizer the moment they left GMB. According to GMB officials farmers would buy fertilizer from wards at $15 per 50 kilogram pocket of fertilizer while a 10 kilogramme pocket of seed maize would fetch $5. The prize was reasonably affordable compared to the $35 per pocket charged by retailers. Fertilizer and seed supplies were reportedly enough to be shared among households. Most farmers were yet to benefit from the exercise three months into the farming season.

As if the government sponsored GMB input scheme was not bogus enough, a vaguely described nongovernmental arrangement was introduced to disadvantaged members of the farming community.

The aged, widowed and orphans among the socially disadvantaged around villages were urged to part with $5 each, following promises they would receive inputs before the rain season began. The $5 would also be used to process membership cards to identify disadvantaged members of the community who would have access to subsidized farm inputs at selected retailers across the country.

Struggling and disadvantaged members of community borrowed cash or sold off assets to raise the $5, but four months down the line nothing has come out of the arrangement. Officials from the Good Samaritan organization which lured its prey with the aid of local political councillors and traditional leadership were nowhere to be seen. Should they fail to show up in the next 30 days then we would have missed this farming season.

Age permitting, I would have opted for the contract farming scheme to which a number of farmers had turned. Contract farming if well implemented, one would yield a better harvest as inputs and supporting services were availed in time.

My situation was worsened by late payment by GMB for maize produce delivered to their depots. Despite promises by government ministers that all farmers who delivered produce to GMB last harvest would be paid by end of last month, I am yet to receive my dues. I delivered maize to GMB depots last August.

Had I received the payment in time I would have purchased inputs well ahead of the farming season. I am in a hopeless situation.

While well-connected farmers accessed inputs for the farming season, the disadvantaged continued to watch in agony as heavy rains pounded in some parts of the country. Most regions of the country were yet to receive adequate and normal rainfalls to commence planting crop.