It's Time New Zimbabwe Farmers Become Self-Reliant

Zimbabwe cotton farmers earned from this year's yield according to a recent article in the state newspaper The Herald. The land redistribution program in this Southern African state has provided farms to people dispossessed by colonialism., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

It's time new farmers become self-reliant

Friday, 08 March 2013 00:00
Zimbabwe Herald

The land reform programme, which is premised on the parcelling out of land to the previously marginalised people, has transformed the agricultural landscape from being dominated by white commercial farmers to being firmly in the hands of Zimbabweans.

There can never be any talk of empowerment without making reference to land reform as it has been a major weapon that the Government used to fight poverty and improve the livelihood of the majority of the people.

Hundreds of thousands of people benefited from land reform and today they are proud owners of the resource.

We have witnessed vast tracts of land that the white former farmers used to leave lying idle fast being turned into greenbelts as the new farmers worked round the clock to improve productivity.

True to the spirit of having the interests of its people at heart, the Government did not only give out land but went a step further to provide agricultural inputs to the farmers.

For many years, the Government has been providing free inputs to farmers because it understood the challenges associated with the transition from being landless to owning pieces of land.

Farmers needed support to take off soon after being resettled and the Government, through the Grain Marketing Board, introduced the Inputs Scheme, that saw farmers accessing inputs from the GMB.

Others like the Presidential Well-wishers Inputs Schemes, followed later.

But there comes a time when the new farmers should admit they have graduated to farmers and begin to stand on their own.

We have said it many times that farming should be seen as a business just like any other venture.

The Government has played its part to assist farmers and now is the time for them to be self-reliant and fight the dependency-syndrome that seems to have gripped some farmers.

Farmers cannot forever continue top be dependent on the Government for inputs support but should strive to mobilise their own resources to work on the land.

There is a need for farmers to take farming as a serious business and begin to seek other ways to fund their production.

Yes, banks can be a headache when it comes to lending, but there is no harm in putting together a bankable proposal and borrow money from the banks.

Many farmers have been in the business since 2000, when the land reform started and have, for years, been receiving free inputs from the Government, meaning their cost of production excluded inputs, such as fertiliser, seed and chemicals, which are some of the major cost factors in farming.

Given that scenario, we do not see the reason why farmers should continue looking up to Government for inputs support.

The money they made during the time they got free inputs should allow them to stand on their own.

Farmers have done so well in maize, tobacco and soya-bean production and should now stop depending on the Government for support but invest the profits they are making into the business.

We agree with the Zanu-PF Politburo member Cde Dzikamai Mavhaire that the only way to thank President Mugabe for the land is to use it productively.

The lives of many farmers has gone through major transformation, with a majority of them now owning houses, cars and other properties from the proceeds of farming.

They must not spend all the money or profit from farming on luxury but should always remember to set aside money for inputs for the next season.

Good farmers always do this and come the farming season, they are ready to roll.
It is a big lie that farming does not pay, for indeed we all have seen how the lives of many have changed, courtesy of land reform.

The problem has been with those farmers who spend their money without budgeting for the next season.

Let it be known that gone are the days when the Government would provide inputs support, now is the time for many to prove their mettle and contribute significantly to the Gross Domestic Product.