Farmers bemoan late Command Agric inputs
FARMERS in Mashonaland West Province are not happy with Agritex officers, whom they are accusing of frustrating them by delaying the distribution of Command Agriculture inputs as well as creating complications in the signing of contracts.
For the greater part of yesterday, scores of disgruntled farmers gathered outside the Agritex offices in Chinhoyi, demanding that the Government intervenes immediately if the country was to expect a good harvest in the 2017-2018 cropping season.
With the rainy season having started in earnest, farmers who were promised inputs and had planned their cropping around the inputs, said it was too late to change their plans and start working out new funding deals outside Command Agriculture.
In an interview, farmer Mr Anusa Maripa said farmers had the potential to exceed this year’s set target only if Agritex officers availed inputs on time.
“Command (Agriculture) yield has potential to surpass even this year’s bumper harvest if farmers receive inputs on time
“But we are tired of travelling to the Agritex offices every day and going home with nothing but promises.
“It seems everything we had planned has gone up in smoke and we are nowhere, yet the season is not stopping. It will not wait for us,” he said.
Another f armer, Mr Jackson Nhundu, said the process of signing contract forms for the inputs was cumbersome.
“I signed the contract forms during the first week of October and I was supposed to receive a copy, but up to now there is no favourable response from the Agritex offices. The response I am always getting is that they are processing and will get back to me soon.
“I also fear that I might not receive the inputs as you have heard for yourselves when Mrs Katanda was addressing us that the inputs are in short supply this season and some of us might not receive them.”
An official from Agritex in Chinhoyi, Mrs Alice Katanda, told farmers that the inputs were in short supply and some might fail to receive them.
“Farmers vying for 40 hectares and above had initially been directed to receive their inputs from Harare, but we were later advised that fuel and fertiliser should be collected here. We have started giving farmers with 300 hectares and above three tonnes of fertiliser each, which in fact is insignificant.
“The inputs might not be adequate for all the farmers, but we are trying to allocate what we have to all our farmers. Those who are yet to receive a copy of the signed contract forms should collect them at their respective zones except those from Doma.”
The complaints come barely a few days after Minister of State for Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Cde Webster Shamu also expressed displeasure with the manner in which Agritex officers were distributing the inputs.
“We have received complaints that some farmers are failing to get inputs after working hours and others were being harassed at the Agritex offices. This should end.
“We will make sure that we put in place mechanisms that everyone benefits from the Presidential Inputs Scheme and Command Agriculture inputs,” said Cde Shamu.
The disgruntled farmers later dispersed after being addressed.