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President Mugabe last week launched a $38 million agricultural mechanisation programme dubbed “More Food for Africa Zimbabwe” aimed at empowering small-scale farmers who are believed to be more productive as compared to large-scale farmers.

Peacemaker Zano
Through the agricultural farming equipment that was financed by the Brazilian government recently, Zimbabwe has the opportunity to regain its status as the breadbasket of Africa once again.

Once the second largest economy in Southern Africa, Zimbabwe’s economy was purely anchored on farming and agricultural based industries.

Brazil should be commended for supporting Zimbabwean policies. The agricultural sector is the backbone of the economy. Accordingly, the economic blueprint Zim-Asset seeks to improve and increase food security as well as eradicate poverty through agriculture.

Hence, this agricultural equipment distributed to the country will help to boost food production together with gross domestic product.

Agricultural mechanisation is beneficial and critical as it boosts agricultural efficiency and ensures the economy independence that all the industrialised nations enjoy today.

In agriculture, mechanisation speeds up the rate at which jobs are created in the nation’s economy. Therefore, with this loan facility of agricultural equipment, Government should not accept further reasons for food deficit in the country.

Agricultural output is divided into two, thus, between cash crops from commercial agriculture and food crops from subsistence agriculture.

The distributors of this farming equipment should follow President Mugabe’s words that it is not meant for certain individuals, but it should be distributed in communal areas where the entire community is supposed to benefit and automatically own it.

Consequently, the distributors must fairly distribute the equipment such that every community benefits from it.

According to President Mugabe, the programme, dubbed “More Food for Africa Zimbabwe”, is aimed at empowering small-scale farmers who are believed to be more productive compared to large-scale farmers.

In Zimbabwe, the land reform programme was launched as a way of increasing food production by empowering the black majority populace.

Reports have it that small-scale farmers produce about 80 percent of the food consumed in most African countries.

However, most of these small-scale farmers are scaling back their farming hectarages due to lack of proper farming equipment. This has led the nation into constant reliance on importing maize from other countries, which continues to cripple the economy.

Now that the beneficiaries of the agricultural equipment will be communal farmers, it is advised that they make use of the equipment in order to maximize production. Without fail, the next farming season should witness a positive change in terms of food production.

Also, farms contribute directly to the economy by employing people and paying wages and salaries.

However, the Government should constantly monitor and make follow-ups on whether the communal farmers will utilise the equipment effectively.

The nation should be able to generate enough food for consumption and export if there is a surplus.

Revitalising the agricultural sector will not only increase food production, but it will also rejuvenate the industrial sector.

Most of the companies which closed had a direct link with agriculture and a downfall in agriculture also meant their closure.

Foreign trade is an important component of most countries’ economy. In Sri Lanka, major exports include tea, rubber, coconut products and foodstuffs. It is said that Sri Lanka is the largest exporter of black tea in the world.

By growing and exporting cash crops, such as cotton and tobacco, Zimbabwe can improve on its GDP as well as revitalise the manufacturing sector.

Agriculture is a key driver of productivity and prosperity. By restoring manufacturing industries such as David Whitehead and Merlin Zimbabwe, jobs will be created, hence, eradicate poverty. Job creation is one of the objectives of Zim-ASSET.