Farmers partner with Mbada Diamonds
This article was written by Our reporter on 8 January, at 01 : 17 AM
MBADA Diamonds has partnered the Zimbabwe Farmers Union to equip families resettled at Arda Transau with farming skills and inputs as a way of making them self-sufficient, an official said yesterday.
As part of the deal, Mbada would secure inputs worth US$100 000 per year for the 100 resettled families while ZFU would train the farmers on sustainable farming methods.
Scores of families were resettled at Arda Transau Farm in 2010 to pave way for the miner to start operations at their former homes following the discovery of alluvial diamonds in the Marange area.
Mbada, Anjin, Marange Resources and Diamond Mining Company are some of the firms operating in the area.
Mbada corporate services executive George Manyaya told reporters that the main aim of the project is to ensure self-sustenance.
“The families have been relying on our food handouts so we expect to wean them once their productivity improves,” he said.
“We do not want to continue handing payouts to the families, so this is a long- term solution that will empower the affected families,” he said.
Manyaya said training of farmers started in December.
“ZFU agronomists are currently training the families in Mutare on the foundations of farming,” he said.
A ZFU official confirmed the partnership, and said the union had deployed agronomists to train and guide the farmers.
The official said ZFU was also selling the agriculture training programs to other mining companies.
“ZFU is also in the process of selling the same concepts to other leading miners in the country such as Zimplats, Unki and Mimosa,” said the official. — New Ziana.
Labels: MBADA DIAMONDS, NEW FARMERS, ZFU
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Zimbabwe fails to meet winter wheat target: ZFU
Herald Reporters
ZIMBABWE, traditionally a net importer of wheat, should brace for increased purchases of the cereal this year after farmers only managed to cultivate 7 000 hectares of the projected 60 000ha of the crop this winter season.
According to Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union director, Mr Paul Zakariya, Zimbabwe may harvest just 10 000 tonnes against annual national requirements of 450 000 tonnes. The yield could further decrease if
power supplies for irrigation do not improve.
In a good year, Zimbabwe can produce about 150 000 tonnes but this year production is low enough to be negligible. Some farmers ditched the crop for barley this season because the latter is supported by contracting firms. Bindura farmer Mrs Diana Bepura said she abandoned wheat because of constant power cuts in her area.
"We spend more than two days without power and this has affected other farming projects that heavily depend on irrigation," she said.
Mass Producers Farm supervisor Mr Crispen Chiminya said he was forced to cut the hectarage under wheat.
"We had planned to grow 33 hectares of wheat but only managed 15 hectares which we are battling with. Those who planted early are struggling with irrigation. For the last two weeks some wheat growing areas did not have electricity and this will obviously affect yields at the end of the season," he said.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made acknowledged the problems farmers were experiencing.
"Farmers are battling with the planted crop and failing to observe their irrigation cycles due to erratic electricity supplies.
"They are having difficulties dealing with irrigation when electricity is usually available three to four hours a day," he said.
Farmers said power is usually restored during the night making it difficult to water their crop.
The winter season started late with few farmers planting ahead of the June 1 deadline while some with limited resources waited for Government subsidies, which were largely not forthcoming.
Labels: PAUL ZAKARIYA, WHEAT, ZFU
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Govt expresses support for farmers’ joint project
Business Reporter
GOVERNMENT has said it fully supports the Union Project, which was established by the country’s three farming organisations, The Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union, Commercial Farmers’ Union and the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union to prop up the agricultural sector.
Under the project, farmer organisations are involved in the implementation of several projects with support from the European Union and Stabex’95 funds.
The project promotes private sector participation through contract farming for crop and livestock production.
Officially launching the project in Harare yesterday, the Minister of Agricultural Engineering, Mechanisation and Irrigation, Senator Joseph Made, who is also the Acting Minister of Agriculture, commended the formation of the project.
The Union Project, he said would have far-reaching positive production impact on smallholder farmers guaranteeing national and rural household food security, jobs and incomes.
Some of the schemes receiving funding are livestock production through the provision of vaccines, rehabilitation of the Central Veterinary Laboratory for vaccine production and dip tank rehabilitation in communal areas.
"Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, supports these projects. Government appreciates the continued support of the agricultural sector by the international community.
"Agriculture is the backbone of the Zimbabwean economy as well as the mainstay of livelihoods in the rural areas and the smallholder communal farmers," he said.
Funding is also provided for crop production, institutional capacity building and conservation agriculture.
Sen Made said the Union Project has schemes in Guruve, Karoi, Kadoma, Masvingo, Rusape, Honde Valley, Chinamhora and Murehwa where about 1 085 farmers had been engaged.
By the end of the project, more than 3 000 farmers are expected to have benefited.
With support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, European Union, the South African and Spanish governments, the project intends to increase food security through intensive extension, training and input support.
It also aims to introduce improved land use and land management farming methods and to set up market linkages with the private sector, including contract farming and input credit schemes.
Labels: CFU, FARMING, UNION PROJECT, ZCFU, ZFU
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Fertilizer firms holding us to ransom, say farmers
Herald Reporter
FARMERS’ organisations yesterday express-ed outrage at the failure by fertilizer companies to fulfil their pleage to produce the commodity in time for the forthcoming summer cropping season despite being allocated US$10 million by the central bank. The farmers said the failure to produce the required fertilizer on time was tantamount to aiding the illegal sanctions against the country.
The farmers said the continual shifting of positions by the fertilizer producers was affecting national planning and efforts to increase agricultural production and ensure food security.
Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union vice president Cde Edward Raradza said the fertilizer industry was holding the country to ransom while blame was being heaped on the Gover-nment.
"ZFU strongly supports President Mugabe as there is no reason why the companies cannot produce when they are receiving foreign currency allocations from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
"By not producing they are sabotaging the country and aiding the illegal sanctions preferred on Zimbabwe by its enemies. If that is the case, then there is no reason why they should be treated with kid gloves. For them it’s time to repent. They have failed farmers before and the country cannot allow this to happen again," he said.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president Mr Wilson Nyabonda said the stance taken by President Mugabe would help weed out companies and individuals working against the indigenous empowerment drive.
Zimbabwe Tobacco Growers’ Association president Mr Wilfanos Mashingaidze said he was impressed with the urgency that President Mugabe had put on the need to secure farming inputs.
"The companies should know they are businesses to service the country and its people," he said.
Labels: COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, FERTILIZER, ZFU, ZIMBABWE
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