Zimbabwe: Nguni Calls for Co-Operation On Inputs Provision

Source from:  The Herald (Harare) April 7, 2006 04/10/2006

GOVERNMENT and the private sector should work together to ensure that inputs are made available to farmers on time, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Cde Sylvester Nguni has said. This, Cde Nguni said, would ensure the success of agriculture, which is the country's blue chip industry -- in terms of foreign currency generation. Speaking at a combined field and prize giving day for the country's successful soyabean farmers in Mazowe yesterday, Cde Nguni said Zimbabwe was not prioritising agriculture in accordance with its billing as the backbone of the economy. "We are not united as the private sector and Government in prioritising agriculture. Our deeds are not showing that agriculture is the backbone of the country's economy," he said. He said tobacco was the highest foreign currency earner but little of the proceeds from the sale of the crop were being channelled back into tobacco farming. "If tobacco is the biggest foreign currency earner for the country then why should there be a shortage of foreign currency to support production of the crop? "More foreign currency should be allocated to tobacco production so that it will continue to generate more f or the country," Cde Nguni said. Farmers, he said, should take agriculture as a business where proper planning was needed. He emphasised the need for farmers to venture into soyabean farming as it fetched more on the market. Soyabean farmers from different parts of the country walked away with prizes for producing the best crop in the large-scale and small-holder farmers' categories. Winner of the first prize in the large-scale soyabean farmers' category Mr Godwin Chitsinde walked away with over $20 million in cash, a certificate, floating trophy and a shield. Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Policy and Implementation in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Cde Webster Shamu, yesterday said every farmer should take agriculture as a profession and not only as a simple way of life. In a speech read on his behalf at a field day hosted by Lobels operations director, Mr Lemmy John Chikomo, at his farm in Chegutu, Cde Shamu said it was imperative for farmers to utilise lan d -- the economic mainstay of the country. The 38,9-hectare farm, which is under the A1 model, has 282 cattle, 77 goats, 5 chickens, 38 guinea fowls and a single turkey. It also has a total of 32,4 hectares under maize production with the remainder under groundnuts and cowpeas. Enditem