ZAS challenges farmers to fully utilise land

THE Zimbabwe Agricultural Society has challenged farmers to fully utilise the land to help boost food security in line with the economic blueprint, ZimAsset.

The remarks were made by ZAS agricultural produce chairman Mr Ivan Craig in Sanyati on Wednesday during a handover ceremony of motorbikes to winners of the 106th Edition of Harare Agricultural Show held last year.

The motorbikes were part of the prizes during the agricultural show, which saw Mrs Gracious Makoti, a Sanyati A1 farmer, scooping the first prize.

She went home with a tractor, plough and $500 donated by Case Tractors.

The agricultural extension officer of the area, Miss Netsai Vazi, also got a motorbike to complement her joint efforts with the farmer.

“We are encouraging farmers all over the country to put their land into good use as it enhances food security issues which have been topical for some time now,” said Mr Craig. “We are also urging farmers to participate in the agricultural show competitions in their numbers and desist from referring to such activities as meant for participation by farmer so and so.

“When we launched this agri-produce competition, basically the idea was to give a farmer a reason to exhibit at a show because you find it pointless for a farmer to come and exhibit at a show and yet they do not get any prizes. So, we introduced this competition so that the farmers will come and exhibit, they are judged, then we come up with winners.”

Mr Craig said the agricultural show enabled farmers to have an appreciation of quality standards required for both local and foreign markets.

“The aim of the show is to improve productivity and also to improve the quality of the produce,” he said. “It is also a way of trying to educate the farmer on the international standards so that they reach those standards and we should be in a position to sell locally, as well as exporting without any challenges.”

Mr Craig said the competitions had increased production levels, improved products quality and also promoted the coming in of new varieties, as farmers aimed to win.