(HERALD) Let’s aim for food self-sufficiency

Let’s aim for food self-sufficiency

As the Government battles to mitigate the effects of the current food crisis on the citizenry, it is vital to realise that an everlasting solution lies in boosting production towards self-sufficiency and reviving food exports to generate foreign currency. Yes, food handouts are beneficial and may address the immediate nutritional concerns of the people,but do not leave them any better in terms of self-reliance.

The most important thing is to exploit the openings created by the shortages and this involves serious planning in the deployment of resources.

The positive thing about the crisis is that it is a passing phase that has opened up a host of marketing opportunities, which naturally enable farmers to produce for specific markets.

Such a development will also mean that farmers can easily generate revenue to sustain their operations.

They will be able to buy inputs, mechanise and finance their operations on their own.

Food security will be restored at both household and national levels while agriculture will once again regain its status as the engine for economic growth.

This will help wean off many people from the Government’s list of dependents.

It is against this background that the Government should adopt a more serious attitude towards the training of farmers in the agronomy of crops, allocation of resources, handling of animals, labour relations and, most importantly, the operation and maintenance of farming implements.

Furthermore, it may also become necessary for the Government to assist farmers with other logistics like transport so that produce does not rot by the roadside awaiting transportation to the market.

Since the food shortages are on a global scale, the country must realise that there are many other farming nations eyeing the same opportunities hence the need for robust planning and implementation of ideas to broaden the scale of production.

Inputs like seed, chemicals and fertilizers should be readily available and this calls for a complete overhaul and revival of industries that produce these basic farming products.

Once this is done and production gets back on track, we can start talking about sustainable farming and economic empowerment, which happens to be the panacea for Zimbabwe’s current food shortages.