Zimbabwe: Farmers to Get Winter Cropping Diesel On Time

Source from:  The Herald (Harare) March 24, 2006 03/27/2006

GOVERNMENT is making frantic efforts to ensure that 10,8 million litres of diesel for winter cropping and harvesting of the summer crop is available on time. At least 15,5 million litres of diesel was issued to farmers for the 2005 summer cropping season against demand of 20 million litres. During the 2005 winter wheat season, the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (Noczim) managed to supply 5,7 million litres instead of the required 10,7 million litres. Noczim yesterday said supplies would be allocated to farmers who sold their wheat through the Grain Marketing Board, as a measure to guard against abuse of the cheap fuel facility. "We will only give the fuel to farmers who supplied wheat to the GMB last season. We are working on the list of the farmers together with GMB and other stakeholders," said Noczim director of marketing and distribution Mr Krispen Mashange. He said farmers with proof that they are ready to start winter wheat growing would also benefit. "These farmers have to produce documents that give them water rights and also prove they have irrigation equipment," he said. Mr Mashange said because of the scarcity of dies el, Noczim would release the fuel to farmers in tranches of 2 000 litres until they took delivery of their total entitlements. "We give the fuel in smaller quantities in order to spread farming operations. We want all the farmers to get fuel and embark on farming activities at the same time," he said. At least 150 litres of diesel are required to grow a hectare of maize, wheat or soya beans. For land preparation, 30 litres of diesel are needed for ploughing, 20 litres for disking, 20 litres for planting, another 20 litres for spraying and 60 litres for harvesting. A total of 107 litres are required to farm a hectare of tobacco of which 15 litres are required for harrowing, nine litres for the application of lime, 30 litres for ploughing, 20 litres for ridging, five litres for contour ridges, eight litres for re-ridging and another 20 litres for harvesting. Secretary for Energy and Power Development Mr Justin Mupamhanga yesterday said Government was working hard to ensure the availability of fuel requested by the Department of Agricultural Research and Extension Services (Arex). "We are going to ensure fuel is available with the support of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe," he said. Mr Mupamhanga said chances of farmers abusing fuel allocations were small as in most cases the allocations they get are inadequate. In the majority of cases, he said, farmers had to buy extra fuel at the pump price or from the illegal parallel market. He said the ministry was tightening the distribution and monitoring systems. "Three months ago we amended the application form used by farmers to include verification by the Zimbabwe Republic Police," he said. Enditem