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ZIMBABWE’S agricultural sector is under massive transformation that could see the country regain its breadbasket status sooner than originally anticipated. All this owing largely to the Presidential Input Scheme that has seen at least 1,6 million communal farmers assisted with inputs in the 2013-14 summer cropping season.

If each farmer harvests two tonnes of maize, for instance, the output will translate into 3,2 million tonnes of maize, with national requirements set at 1,8 million tonnes. Add this to the bit that A2 farmers will produce and you get a bumper harvest that had eluded Zimbabwe over the past few years.

Simple mathematics here shows that Zimbabwe will have produced a surplus, which means it will no longer need to spend a penny on maize imports but will actually earn lots of money by exporting the surplus thus improving the country’s balance of payments position.

This is a development we had not anticipated to occur so soon given successive droughts and other challenges that have negatively impacted the sector. But the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme, under which communal farmers receive seed and fertiliser, has made a huge impact on production.

Indeed, we commend President Mugabe for rescuing the farmers, hence the agricultural sector, through this initiative. Detractors have often criticised this programme as a waste of resources but results are there for all to see.

The private sector needs to take a cue and go all out to help finance agriculture. We have seen a few banks come up with facilities but much more needs to be done for the sector.

President Mugabe, a farmer of note himself, has always demonstrated immense passion, particularly for the communal farmer who needed hand-holding to survive harsh climatic conditions and expensive imports.

Zimbabwe’s economy is largely agriculture-based making support to the sector quite critical. We commend President Mugabe for his vision and determination to have Zimbabwe regain its breadbasket status.

Communal farmers particularly, have traditionally produced the bulk of maize hence support targeted at them was always going to do well for the sector, hence the economy.

The millions of dollars worth of inputs dedicated to this sector are obviously about to yield results, thus fulfilling the President’s dream of a self-sufficient Zimbabwe when he launched the scheme.

A few reports of abuse of inputs need to be investigated and dealt with to ensure that nothing derails such a noble scheme and any other launched by Government to resuscitate agriculture.

Those farmers that have often been tempted to sell their inputs should be ashamed of themselves and reform as the economy needs all hands on deck. Selling inputs is one of the worst forms of myopia that needs to be dealt with decisively for this country to move forward.

Statistics on the ground show that most crops will perform better this year than they have done in the past five years as the agriculture sector regains its status as one of the major pillars on which the economy leans.

Hectarage under tobacco this year increased from 89 000 to 107 000 while soya bean production is also set to improve by 30 percent to 68 000 hectares from 52 000. The same goes for most of the crops, giving a brighter picture of the agricultural sector.

Already, cattle production has grown to 5,3 million from 5,2 million.

These statistics  give confidence that the economy is poised for a brighter future as enunciated under the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation.

The recovery of agriculture will impact the manufacturing sector which depends on the former for 60 percent of its input. These positive effects will cascade into other sectors of the economy, making economic rejuvenation a reality.

The sanctions-busting results will indeed take the country to a firm recovery path.