Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
Agriculture experts have called on Government and the private sector to increase funding for food crop production if the country is to attain national food security and reclaim its status as the breadbasket of Southern Africa.
Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union economist Mr Prince Kuipa said several factors were affecting farmers willing to produce food crops, chief among them lack of funding.
He said farmers were more interested in growing cash crops such as tobacco and cotton because of the availability of funding through contract farm- ing.
“People are growing tobacco and cotton more than maize and wheat because the returns justify the investment. There is high productivity in cash crops as farmers are adequately funded and are able to attain high yields.
“Our national average yield for maize is 0,8 tonnes per hectare because the farmers cannot afford adequate inputs. Many farmers producing maize end up skimping on resources such as fertilisers as they do not have money,” he said.
Mr Kuipa bemoaned the fact that there was not much support for food crop production from the private sector.
He said this made tobacco and cotton more attractive to farmers even in the face of challenges within those sectors.
“Another important factor that should be addressed to boost yields for food crops is technical support. In tobacco, companies provide extension services and train farmers on good agronomic practices to attain the expected quantity and quality of the crop.
“Farmers growing maize and wheat lack technical back-up. Agritex officers have their own challenges and cannot provide services to all farmers. Agritex officers are ill-resourced and face mobility challenges,” he said.
“Enablers also include a viable market. Farmers should be able to secure buyers offering good prices. We are glad the Grain Marketing Board offers the best price (for maize),” Mr Kuipa said.
Zimbabwe Indigenous Women Farmers’ Association Trust president Mrs Depinah Nkomo said irrigation facilities should be accessible to farmers especially those producing food crops.
She urged Government to motivate farmers to produce maize, wheat and small grains to ensure national food security.
“We should not rely on importing food when we have many farmers willing to produce. We should have access to funding for irrigation. At least every farmer should have irrigation equipment for a hectare and food production will be boosted.
“We do not want handouts. We are willing to pay, and there should be such credit facilities especially from the private sector that utilises raw materials from the agriculture sector,” she said.