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Victor Maphosa Mashonaland East Bureau

THE Government will this year avail 3 000 tractors that are set to be in the country by end of July as the Second Republic moves a gear up in transforming the agriculture sector, which is key to economic development.

Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development Minister Anxious Masuka said this last week after winding up his tour of Mashonaland East Province where he engaged farmers and assessed progress on the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme.

He said the tractors currently available in the country were not enough to cater for every farmer. 

“Of the 600 tractors that we have, we gave a certain amount to the District Development Fund (DDF) and another batch to AFC. 

 “These are two Government departments, which are there to assist farmers. But these tractors are not enough.

“We are expecting to receive from today to the end of July this year, a batch of 3 000 tractors. These are enough to such an extent that farmers can be assisted in their agriculture activities,” he said.

Farmers throughout the province decried the scarcity of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) fertiliser, a concern which they raised with the Minister.

Chief Svosve, who joined Minister Masuka and his delegation in Wedza, appealed to Government to speedily avail AN fertiliser to communal farmers in his area of jurisdiction.

“First of all, I want to thank you Minister Masuka for visiting us and see for yourself what the farmers are doing. I have never seen a Minister of Agriculture visiting farmers in communal areas like this.

“My appeal to you Minister Masuka is for us to have fertiliser. Our soil is depleted for we have been farming on it for many years and now the soil requires these fertilisers.”

Mr Enias Nyagondo, a communal farmer in Wedza who is also under the Pfumvudza programme appealed to Government to avail AN fertiliser saying their plants were now at the stage where they required the necessary fertilisers.

He thanked Government for the Pfumvudza programme, saying after implementing it last season, he managed to have a surplus in his harvest and delivered maize to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).

Minister Masuka promised farmers that AN fertiliser would be delivered to the farmers starting this week.

“In two weeks, AN will be available at GMB depots. Most of it is already in the country and we are hoping that in two weeks, all of it will be available.”