The Herald (Zimbabwe)

Embrace modern methods, Government tells farmers

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Tawanda Mangoma in CHIREDZI

GOVERNMENT has challenged farmers to embrace modern farming methods to boost local agricultur­al production and help Zimbabwe reclaim its breadbaske­t status to help the country achieve its goal to become an upper middle income economy by 2030.

Addressing sugarcane farmers at a field day hosted at Retired Major Faster Gono’s farm in Hippo Valley Estates here, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agricultur­e, Water, Climate and Rural Resettleme­nt Vangelis Peter Haritatos said farmers were supposed to up their game.

Deputy Minister Haritatos urged farmers to fight relentless­ly for the nation to continue reducing its import bill which remained an albatross on the nation’s fiscus.

He said the ghost of climate change needed farmers to up their game to make sure the country produces adequate food.

“There is no question that agricultur­al sector is the most significan­t prime-mover of Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030. Agricultur­e is a major source of livelihood for over 67 percent of the population,” said Deputy Minister Haritatos. Zimbabwe, he said, remained food insecure despite having the highest dam density in Southern Africa. “It is quite ironic that with more abundant land, water resources and favourable climatic conditions to grow up to 23 crops and livestock enterprise­s, Zimbabwe remains food insecure and spends a substantia­l amount of foreign currency each year on imports of food and other essential commoditie­s, while certain sections of the community languish in poverty, hunger and malnutriti­on,” said Deputy Minister Haritatos.

Deputy Minister Haritatos said the only solution to end food shortages was for farmers to fully utilise their pieces of land.

“The solution and most direct way of dealing with this crisis is in increasing agricultur­al production and productivi­ty in a sustainabl­e and environmen­tally friendly manner,” he said.

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