Maravi

(HERALD) Training of agric operators a milestone

Training of agric operators a milestone

MODERN farming requires massive investment in equipment and machinery. Gone are the days when farmers relied on draught power and human labour for ploughing, planting and weeding. That is why the Government, after successfully redistributing the land, is not only importing agricultural machinery and implements, but has begun a programme to train those who would be operating the machinery.

The Government last month distributed 925 tractors, 35 combine harvesters, 586 disc ploughs, 463 disc harrows, 70 vicon fertilizer spreaders, 241 boom sprayers and 71 planters imported under a US$25 million farm mechanisation programme launched by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to assist new farmers.

Programmes to train people to use this equipment have begun or are lined up at various agricultural training institutions throughout the country’s 10 provinces.

This is exactly the direction that the country’s agriculture now needs to take.

The challenge is to open up more land for agriculture and this can only be done with the right equipment at the disposal of farmers, and the right people operating that machinery.

Over the next four weeks, beneficiaries of the mechanisation programme will learn how to operate and maintain the farming implements through a team of experts comprising agro-dealers and officials from the central bank and the Ministry of Agricultural Engineering and Mechanisation.

The training workshops will assist farmers to get to grips with the day-to-day maintenance and operations of the machinery and tractors.

They provide an opportunity for service providers to meet the users of their products and train them on the basic ways of handling and maintaining the implements to prolong their lifespan while enhancing agricultural productivity at the same time.

The importation of agricultural equipment and the training of operators are milestones in the on-going agrarian reforms.

The Minister of Agricultural Engineering and Mechanisation Dr Joseph Made rightly pointed out that those who operate the implements and machinery should know that they have a direct impact on the farmer’s income generation and employment creation. Dr Made told farmers at the official launch of the programme in Mutare last week that they should take the training of equipment operators seriously to boost their efficiency and productivity.

We certainly do not need to re-invent the wheel in order to re-boost our agricultural production.

With land in the hands of the people, who have been further empowered through the mechanisation programme, and with the right people trained to operate that machinery, there is nothing that can stop Zimbabwe from reclaiming its position as the breadbasket of Africa.

Labels: AGRICULTURE, MECHANISATION, THE HERALD, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 7:23 AM