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Sophia Chese Herald Correspondent
A local agro chemical company, Shalom Agro Chemicals, has unveiled a $24 000 loan facility to benefit farmers in Nyanga. The inputs scheme was unveiled to farmers under a contract farming arrangement for Nyanga small- scale farmers. Farmers in the area hailed Shalom Agro Chemicals saying the money would assist them to buy inputs.

“The worst enemy of the farmer is inputs costs and these include seed and fertilisers which are the core of farming. Now it is rare to find someone who can offer loans to farmers without collateral . . . but with this one its just mutual understanding.

“Banks have failed to give loans to farmers, but Shalom Agro Chemicals has offered to assist us to implement the economic blue- print Zim-Asset and as farmers, we are very grateful.

“The soil is very fertile and we receive good rains, but we were failing to be productive because of lack of resources,” said Retired Major Shepherd Gurure, one of the farmers who benefited from the loan.

Shalom Agro Chemicals spokesman Mr Thomas Machote said their aim was to assist farmers with inputs so that they implemented Zim-Asset.

“Our thrust is to bridge the financing gap that our marginalised farmers face since they cannot access funding from banks and to build capacity so that food security and nutrition issues in the district and beyond are addressed in line with Zim-Asset,” he said.

He said the company would also assist farmers with the identification of markets for their produce.

“The model we used does not only cover inputs, but includes market linkages throughout Zimbabwe and assistance with the ferying of produce anywhere within Zimbabwe.

“This was after realising that most contracted farmers may have a very good crop, but lack access to markets and even if they had the access, they lack resources to transport their produce to reach out to those markets,” he said.

The unveiling of the loan facility also coincided with the awarding of excelling farmers with inputs and implements such as ploughs, harrows, sprayers and fertilisers.