Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
More than 2 500 farmers have benefited from the joint venture initiative between Lasch Enterprises and zanu-pf Youth League on the supply of agricultural inputs scheme through loans.

Under the scheme, farmers get tobacco, soya-bean and maize inputs and the programme expected to soon extend to livestock production.

Lasch Enterprises head of business development, Mr Clifford Tsigo, said 2 000 tobacco growers had received inputs, while 500 maize farmers had received fertilisers since the launch of the scheme in September.

“Farmers are getting fertilizers and chemicals for a hectare. We hope we will distribute inputs to 50 000 farmers this summer cropping season,” he said.

Mr Tsigo said the joint venture was going to mobilise tractors and greenhouse equipment for farmers in the near future.

Speaking before the distribution of inputs in Harare yesterday, Makoni West legislator and zanu-pf Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs, Cde Kudzanai Chipanga, urged farmers to pay back the loans to enable the funds to benefit more people.

“I appeal to farmers to pay back the loans for the programme to continue. Beneficiaries should make full use of the inputs and not sell or exchange with other commodities,” he said.

“Farmers should fully utilise the inputs to reduce hunger and poverty as this is in line with Zim-Asset. If farmers fail to produce food, they end up blaming and overburdening Government.”

A Bindura farmer, Mr Edwin Mhembere, expressed gratitude to the joint venture project which he said was assisting communal farmers who did not have funding.

“It is difficult for us to borrow money from banks,” he said.

“We rely on selling our produce, but sometimes the profits are so little that we cannot go back to the land.”