(HERALD) Bring back GMB inputs scheme

Bring back GMB inputs scheme

Developments within the agricultural sector are worrying, especially with reports that very few farmers are on schedule with their land preparations. There are real problems out there as farmers struggle to finance their cropping programmes.

The cross-over to multiple currencies, especially the use of the United States dollar and the rand, has left many people — including farmers — battling to secure money to buy agricultural inputs.

Many farmers have yet to start tilling their land in readiness for the rains that are just around the corner owing largely to financing problems.

Farmers should have by now mobilised all the inputs, such as seed, fertilizer, fuel and chemicals but this has not been so crucially because of the prohibitive costs of inputs.

The cost of production has gone well beyond what farmers can afford and even the Government’s US$210 million inputs scheme has not done much to alleviate the burden placed on farmers.

Farmers have complained of the stringent requirements being asked by the banks for them to access inputs.

The demand for housing title deeds by banks has sent shivers down the spines of many farmers.

They are refusing to accept offer letters and other movable farm equipment as collateral security and this has given farmers a serious headache.

We thus believe that it is time the Government intervened and quickly tackles the threat to food security likely to be caused by farmers’ failure to produce.

We believe that Government was somewhat quick to wean off farmers given the changeover to multi-currencies for which many people were not prepared.

Farmers still needed to be assisted with inputs on the lines of the highly successful Inputs Credit Scheme that the Government ran a couple of seasons ago through the Grain Marketing Board.

Such a system ensures that farmers, barring a drought and other natural disasters, produce and enhances the country’s food security.

It should be borne in mind that there are still elements within the country opposed to land reform and would do everything possible to scuttle the gains achieved so far.

The Government should be wary of such elements even within the banking sector and any other sector for that matter and so entrusting the food security of the country in the hands of such elements would certainly be disastrous.

The issue of food security is very important even to the life of any Government and it needs not be delegated to other players. Some governments have been toppled as a result of food shortages and this should make us understand that we should not mess around with issues of the stomach.

What if there are some people using the current inputs scheme to sabotage production to satisfy their selfish interests? These are all issues that need serious interrogation otherwise we could be playing right into the hands of the enemy.

Right now there is little activity taking place on the farms and we would be hoping Government immediately intervenes to help the farmers and avert possible disaster.

We also understand that at some stage Government needs to wean off the farmers but cannot turn a blind eye when there is clear evidence that most farmers are failing to cope in this multi- currency regime. There is no denying the fact that most farmers lost money locked up in banks when we adopted the multi-currency system and to expect the same farmers to immediately bounce back is asking too much.

While some countries are moving forward with their agricultural production on the back of Government subsidies, we seem to have taken a backward route, detrimental to our food security.

Malawi now ranks as Southern Africa’s top maize producer thanks to a fertilizer subsidy introduced by President Bingu waMutharika.

The results are there for everyone to see, as Malawi has been able to produce over 2 million tonnes of maize.

The same goes for Zambia and other countries where subsidies exist.

We must never take short cuts when it comes to agriculture. What needs to be done simply has to be done and right now what needs to be done is for the Government to ensure all farmers go back to the land by making the inputs available.

Let us forget the banks, food security is the Government’s baby and the onus is on it to ensure the sector fires on all cylinders.

When there are food shortages, it is the Government that will be saddled with huge imports bill to feed the people.

So why can’t it simply provide subsidised inputs to ensure production and consequently food security?