Farmers blast Made, Biti
14/05/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
FARMERS have accused Agriculture Minister Joseph Made and his finance
counterpart Tendai Biti of making false promises to save their jobs,
claiming they have yet to receive a cent of the US$20 million funding the
ministers promised.
The farmers spoke as the May 15 deadline for planting wheat approached with
most large scale growers still to plant since the government is yet to
release the funds under an inputs scheme announced by Made and Biti last
month.
“We used to get support on time but even our long-serving Agriculture
Minister is now letting the country down. Minister Made and Biti have let
down the country. It’s high time President Robert Mugabe takes action before
it is too late,” Beatrice farmer’s representative, Edson Makina, told state
radio Monday.
Another farmers’ representative and war veteran Andy Mhlanga added: “Made
and Biti should come out clear to the farmers as we now feel that they are
lying to the President, pretending to be supporting agriculture to save
their jobs.
“Farmers have lost faith in the two ministers, and it is high time action be
taken to save the nation.”
Speaking at a media briefing last month, Biti and Made said the input
support scheme would help double the country’s wheat production to 75,000
tonnes this year.
“We are proposing that we target 26,280 hectares for winter wheat. This
targeted hectarage should give us 75,000 tonnes,” Made said then.
“This might sound little, but considering the 41,000 tonnes we got last
year, this will be some improvement.”
Zimbabwe requires 400,000 tonnes of wheat annually and will have to meet the
shortfall with costly imports from countries such as South Africa and
Zambia.