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Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
The First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe yesterday said she was working on capacitating women farmers producing small grains with machinery and equipment to boost production and enhance value addition. She said this after touring different stands at the Harare Agricultural Show.

Among the stands visited by Dr Mugabe are the agriculture produce section, home industries, Adam Bede, Harlequin, Gushungo Holdings, Alpha Omega and Splash Paints where she had picture moments with one of this year’s show major attractions, one of the tallest men in the world, Mr Bilal Heyder.

Dr Mugabe said women in small grain production should benefit from the tractors from Belarus and Brazil to boost yields and add value to their produce. “I was excited especially by the small grains section which I personally want to promote. Hopefully with the equipment from Brazil and Belarus we will see an improvement in production of small grains.

“We are trying to ensure women producing small grains have requisite equipment to boost yields. “They also need seed. “We have not been having enough rains and we hope the irrigation equipment coming into the country will enhance production of small grains,” she said.

Dr Mugabe said the women will work in groups or as cooperatives to enable them to pay for the tractors. She emphasised that the recent mechanisation programme was different from that of 2008, where people benefited individually but this one was meant for groups and cooperatives. “We have realised that groups work better and give best results. Women are doing quite a lot in manufacturing and value addition. They should be empowered to process their produce so they do not go to waste.

“Processing will increase profits and farmers can sell on the local market or export the processed products,” she said. Dr Mugabe raised concern over erratic power supply that has affected farmers especially for winter crop production. She urged people to consider solar energy which was renewable and reliable compared to hydro-power.

She complained of farmers who were not fully utilising their land and called for a land audit . “Our economy is agro-based. It disturbing that a lot of land is lying idle with people not doing what is expected of them,” she said.