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Conrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in Mashonaland West Mary Mliswa-Chikoka has challenged farmers to venture into organised farming through formation of synergies with a view to boost production for food security.

While the Government introduced various schemes to support the agriculture sector, including subsidised farming inputs, farmers have in some instances failed to access loans from financial institutions.

Addressing farmers at a field day held at Chapman Farm in Makonde, Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said synergies were key in boosting production.

“We understand that farmers fail to access loans because of lack of surety among other reasons but, if you form synergies, it will help you conduct your farming businesses. You can then use each other as guarantors to access loans and equipment from financial institutions and various companies.”

“Organise yourselves as farmers and share whatever you have, especially farming equipment and be able to pay for the inputs that you are given in advance. You must also take advantage of the mechanisation programme to enhance productivity,” she added.

Some farmers failed to access farming inputs under the National Enhanced Agriculture Productivity Scheme (NEAPS) also known as Command Agriculture now in the hands of Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe (CBZ) and Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC) because of bottlenecks and defaulting.

She challenged beneficiaries of various Government revolving schemes to pay back their loans by delivering their grains to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).

Minister Chikoka warned farmers against side-marketing.

Mr Misheck Paradzanwa of Chapman Farm, who hosted the others at the field day, is a beneficiary of NEAPS and he successfully utilised his 30 hectares.

Seedco’s regional agronomist, Mr Godwill Macherera said the farmer is set to get an estimate yield of eight tonnes of maize per hectare.

Mr Paradzanwa who hailed the Government for assisting farmers with inputs.

Howver, he cried foul over failure by ZESA to fix the electricity transformer that was vandalised some two decades ago.

He is finding it difficult to venture into irrigation farming although a dam at his farm has the capacity irrigate 150 hectares.

“However, I am not doing irrigation-fed agriculture because the power utility, ZESA, disconnected a transformer that supplied us with power. It’s been almost 20 years now without a transformer,” he said.