Farmers expect better winter cropping season
Chief Reporter Emilia Zindi
PROSPECTS of a better winter cropping season are high with stakeholders confirming all is in place. Planting in some areas is in progress despite limited amounts of basal fertilisers. The Minister of Agriculture, Cde Rugare Gumbo, said in an interview at his office at Ngungunyana Building in Harare last Thursday that the season had already kicked off with the early-planted wheat crop already germinating in some areas.
Cde Gumbo said the targeted hectarage had remained at 70 000 as of last season, with farmers having indicated they could plant as much as 71 275 hectares.
He said Government was happy that seed houses had made seed available on time with farmers who want to buy using own funds now able to do so from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots in their respective areas.
Although Cde Gumbo was not sure of the prices, a GMB official said farmers now had to fork out $135 billion for a tonne of seed and $2 billion for a tonne of compound D. A tonne of wheat seed is enough to plant 10 hectares.
Farmers who need assistance under Operation Maguta were also being urged to approach the offices to get the inputs that were currently being distributed.
The country had enough seed to cover the targeted hectarage with 7 800 metric tonnes available.
Cde Gumbo said the major area that now required urgent attention was the availability of fertilisers which seemed to be in short supply.
He said the situation was expected to improve as the central bank had advised him that it had released US$10 million to local manufacturers.
"Of this amount, agro-chemicals require US$800 500 and the rest will be made available for immediate basal fertiliser manufacturing which is required at the planting stage,’’ said Cde Gumbo.
He said the country required a total of 35 000 metric tonnes of basal fertilisers and 28 000 metric tonnes of top dressing specifically for this winter season.
The GMB presently had 4 506 metric tonnes, enough to cover around 9 000 hectares.
Distribution of this consignment to wheat farmers had already commenced through direct sales and Operation Maguta/Inala.
Operation Maguta was expected to grow 30 000 hectares of the crop.
Also already available were 947 metric tonnes of urea top-dressing fertiliser, which were enough for4 500 hectares.
This leaves a deficit of 30 494 metric tonnes for compound D and 27 053 metric tonnes for AN top dressing, which was being addressed.
The injection of foreign currency into the local industry of US$10 million was expected to see manufacturers producing a total of 24 000 metric tonnes of compound D from March to June, and 34 400 metric tonnes of AN from March to August.
Cde Gumbo said there were also active fertiliser import contracts under which the GMB was supposed to have received 6 500 metric tonnes of urea by April 19 from Intshona to complement the local industry.
There were also balances of the commodity from various active contracts amounting to 26 160 metric tonnes of basal fertilisers and 45 085 metric tonnes of top dressing still to be received.
Turning to fuel, Cde Gumbo said the Ministry of Energy and Power Development had advised him that arrangements for nine million litres of fuel required for the programme had been put in place with farmers already receiving their allocations.
The central bank had also announced the immediate release of US$30 million for the procurement of fuel for farmers this season.
The minister took the opportunity to clarify the position of farmers who failed to deliver wheat last season due to various challenges.
Cde Gumbo said such farmers must be allowed to grow wheat if they were ready to do so.
On electricity, which was a major challenge last season, Cde Gumbo said measures were in place to improve supplies this winter cropping season.
These include the acquisition of spare parts and raw materials for Zesa Holdings and the signing of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with HCB of Mozambique for 200MW and SNEL of the Democratic Republic of Congo, for 100MW, resulting in a total of 300MW.
On herbicides and pesticides, he said currently there were enough stocks to cover 53 900 and 32 200 hectares respectively. The deficit would be procured using funds availed by the central bank.
GMB had in stock the most critical herbicide required at planting, especially MCPA, with a total of 161 500 litres, leaving a shortfall of 48 500 litres to be procured out of the availed funds.
Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union vice-president Mr Edward Raradza said farmers were raring to go. Fuel was now available for both harvesting and land preparations.
He, however, expressed concern at the limited amounts of basal fertilisers available, saying farmers were hoping for a much better season this time around.
Labels: LAND REFORM, OPERATION MAGUTA, RUGARE GUMBO, ZIMBABWE
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Success of agriculture depends on concerted efforts — Official
Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT wants to see a massive production of all grains through Operation Maguta and the operation would only succeed with the collective efforts of all the people, a senior official has said. Addressing war veterans and people in Mudzi District last Friday, head of the Operation Maguta Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba said there was need for full utilisation of the land to produce food.
"We are currently distributing seeds and the success of the agricultural season depends on our efforts," he said.
He said war veterans and other people who benefited from the land reform programme should be on the forefront of producing food, both for feeding the nation and generation of foreign currency. Brig Gen Nyikayaramba said the sanctions imposed on the country by Britain and its allies were a result of the land reform programme.
He said when some of the white commercial farmers were leaving their farms, they destroyed irrigation and farming equipment and infrastructure in a bid to sabotage the land reform programme. "We need to be determined because we are our own liberators. We have reached the apex of our struggle and we need to remain united.
"Divided we fall and united we stand," he said.
Brig Gen Nyikayaramba said the Western countries had used different tactics to destroy culture, not only in Zimbabwe but also in some other African countries.
"Our culture must prevail. Let us not allow them to destroy our culture since they have used various tactics to dislodge the Africans," he said.
Brig General Nyikayaramba said the country’s leadership had a vision and those nations without vision would "perish".
Operation Maguta, which is meant to improve the country’s food security, was launched in September 2005. The operation receives financial support from the Government in an effort to increase agricultural output.
Members of the army and other security forces, working in collaboration with local administrative structures supervise the projects with the ultimate objective of increasing productivity on farms, thus guaranteeing food security.
Addressing chiefs in Victoria Falls last month, Brig Gen Nyikayaramba said Government was taking national food security seriously.
This came after Government had identified about 1,25 million hectares of land to be put under Operation Maguta this summer farming season and completed the rehabilitation of another 21 irrigation schemes countrywide to boost agricultural production and bolster national food security.
The irrigation schemes were part of the 10-year-plan to put more than 600 000 hectares under irrigation, were now ready for commissioning, while the procurement of inputs and land preparation was now in progress.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, IRRIGATION, OPERATION MAGUTA, THE HERALD
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Boost for agriculture
Herald Reporter-Bulawayo Bureau.
1,25m ha under Operation Maguta l Irrigation schemes set for commissioning
GOVERNMENT has identified about 1,25 million hectares of land to be put under Operation Maguta this summer farming season and completed the rehabilitation of another 21 irrigation schemes countrywide to boost agricultural production and bolster national food security. The irrigation schemes, which are part of the 10-year-plan to put more than 600 000 hectares under irrigation, were now ready for commissioning, while the procurement of input and land preparation is now in progress.
Head of Operation Maguta Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba told chiefs in Victoria Falls this week that the Government was taking national food security seriously. Brig Gen Nyikayaramba said one million hectares were identified in the high rainfall regions while the remainder were in low rainfall areas.
He said in light of this, a survey on the quantities wanted by the provinces had been completed and by the end of September, farmers would have been given inputs.
"This coming rainy season we are putting about 1,25 million hectares under different crops as the Government intensifies efforts to feed the nation. Planting should commence as quickly as the rains fall," he said.
He said they were targeting other crops that are drought-resistant other than maize like millet, sorghum, rapoko, ground and round nuts so that if one crop fails, the other can be recovered. Brig Gen Nyikayaramba said in times of peace like Zimbabwe was enjoying, soldiers also protect people from hunger and that is why they were engaged in Operation Maguta.
He said communal farmers would also be given inputs through traditional leaders.
"We are also implementing the quick-fix programme where we fix farming equipment on farms as there is a lot of machinery lying idle needing to be repaired. Farmers can go to Agribank for working capital as we are only giving them inputs," he said.
Brig Gen Nyikayaramba said they were also going to revamp the Zunde Ramambo/Isiphala Senkosi concept and chiefs would be given inputs to produce for their families and district.
"This 2007/08 farming season will be different because besides the fact that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe will be readily waiting to buy your produce with higher prices, all the crops will be fetching the same price.
"All I can say is that there are higher returns for the farmers this season," he said.
The Ministry of Water Resources and Infrastructural Development has, through the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, embarked on a massive rehabilitation of old and construction of new irrigation schemes to ensure year-round food production.
Among these will be the Zambezi (60 000ha), Save (50 000ha), Mutirikwi Mukorsi (25 000ha), Tuli/Shashe/Limpopo (20 000ha), Sanyati/Manayame (40 000ha) and Mazowe (10 000 ha) systems.
Thereafter, there will also be a long-term irrigation development project spanning over 20 to 30 years. — Herald Reporter-Bulawayo Bureau
Labels: IRRIGATION, OPERATION MAGUTA, THE HERALD, ZIMBABWE
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