Take farming as a business: Minister Masuka
ENTERPRENEURSHIP is crucial to the survival of small-holder farmers in the fast-changing national economy as sustainable cropping is key to the food and cash-flow problems faced by the majority of families in semi-arid communal areas that have infertile soils, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka said farmers should respond to adopt to the changing farming environment by acquiring skills that enable them to start and run profitable farming businesses.
Dr Masuka was addressing farmers at the Presidential (Pfumvudza) Inputs Distribution at Nehumba, Headlands, in Makoni District last week on Friday.
He challenged small-holder farmers to take advantage of training programmes offered by Government to create, develop and sustain their entrepreneurial skills.
His comments came at a time when everything has fallen into place for farmers - from the abundant early rains to the distribution of a full basket of Presidential farming inputs.
The availability of extension services will also make the 2022/23 agricultural season bigger and better.
Dr Masuka said small-holder farmers should take calculated risks to make their businesses more profitable.
He said Government is assisting 3,5 million households with a full basket of inputs this season and implored beneficiaries to follow the Pfumvudza concept holistically instead of cutting corners.
The Pfumvudza programme, which accounted for 56 percent of grain produced in Manicaland last season, has been scaled up to five plots measuring 39mx16m per household.
There are agro-ecological region-specific crop input packages for maize, sorghum,
Dr Masuka said Pfumvudza was formulated to enhance and commercialise agricultural productivity in communal rain-fed areas by focusing on integrated farming, moisture conservation efficiency, soil health management and synergise resource conservation.
“Pfumvudza is a concept and a principle towards enhancing a farmer’s harvest, especially in times when there is inadequate rainfall. Every stage of the process is as important as the next one and if you cut corners on just one, then all of them will fail. Pfumvudza is part of the precision agriculture model being promoted by Government, which if done properly will yield better harvests than conventional farming. It conserves the soil and moisture by using surface cover or mulch to minimise run-off and erosion. lt also improves the conditions for plant growth. Crops are planted and then fertiliser or manure and water are applied directly into the basin which is protected by mulch,” he said.
Dr Masuka said those who abuse the inputs will be jailed for derailing the national vision to attain an upper middle income economy by 2030.
“Those who sell these inputs to buy cooking oil or sugar will be sent to jail. That is the position because you will be derailing the President’s Vision 2030. We shall conduct an audit to see if you put the inputs to good use,” he said.
Dr Masuka also said farmers should not pay anything towards the transportation of Pfumvudza inputs since Government has already availed resources to ensure they are delivered to collection points across the country.
“If you hear your Councillor, or MP anyone saying you should pay a dollar or whatever amount towards collection of the inputs, report those people to the police because the transport costs were paid by the President long back. GMB should deliver the inputs to your collection points,” he said.