Samuel Kadungure Manicaland Bureau
GOVERNMENT has tightened screws on the allocation of 2017-18 Command Agriculture inputs, with priority being given to those who fully paid up their loans and new entrants with viable irrigation systems. Government is taking a cue from the past where various initiatives meant to assist farmers and boost productivity failed dismally after farmers chose to line their pockets ahead of the responsibility to feed the nation by enhancing debt recovery to ensure continuity of the programme.
The farmer’s debt worthiness and past production records are now a must. Priority is given to farmers in natural regions one, two and three where the annual rainfall is high, those who have adequate water sources, competent irrigation infrastructure, potential irrigable areas and proven production record to produce at least five tonnes of maize per hectare. The programme has been extended to soyabeans. Though Agritex head for Manicaland, Mrs Phillipa Rwambiwa, refused to divulge the details and progress made so far in the allocation of inputs citing protocol, farmers, who have not cleared their loans for the last season, said they were frozen out.
Manicaland had targeted 26 578 hectares under the programme, but the hectarage has since been slashed to 20 000ha of which 9 073ha are under irrigation and 17 505.4ha for dryland. Last season 14 000ha were planted under the programme. To date, 26 600 farmers have registered, but 2 443 have been registered under irrigation and 7 489 under dryland. Agronomists were, however, sceptical at the rate at which the inputs were coming. They called for an improvement from last year in terms of delivery and distribution of inputs so that farmers receive inputs and start planting early.
“The delivery of inputs is slow considering that November is with us and everything should by the farm gate now. Some successful farmers have started receiving inputs, but the pace is slow because they are coming in drips,” said a source. Manicaland has so far received 815 tonnes of Compound D fertiliser, 981 tonnes of lime and 90 000 litres of diesel. Stats for seed maize and soya beans were not readily available.
“Preference is on those who have serviced their loans, followed by new entrants with verified and functioning irrigation systems. The idea is to enhance recovery so that Government is able to continue financing the programme,” said the source. Headlands farmer, Mr Gijima Msindo, who last season planted 200ha under the programme and delivered more than three quarters of the tonnage to GMB, was last week denied diesel for land preparations.
“I wanted to collect my diesel to start land preparation, but they turned me away because I still have outstanding deliveries to GMB. I have not failed repaying my loan, but my main challenge is that I haven’t finished harvesting all my maize. I hired two combine harvesters, and all are down, and this has dragged for too long.
“We are currently doing it manually, and it has taken us so long. Part of the field was destroyed by veld fires. I am totally agreeable that loans should be repaid, but the conditions are a bit stringent and should have taken cognisant of several factors both in the build-up, during and after the season.
“In my case I received inputs late and they were inadequate, warranting the relaxation of the conditions as the inconstancies affected the yield,” said Mr Msindo. Government has also moved in to plug loopholes in the programme by gazetting Statutory Instrument 79, which criminalises abuse of inputs and produce under the special scheme.