Opinion / Columnist
ARDA estates should be resuscitated
03 Nov 2015 at 13:59hrs | Views
Zimbabwe used to be the breadbasket of the Southern African Development community (SADC) but now the country is riling under difficulty economic conditions. We have gone to the extent of begging for food from neighbouring countries. The truth is that the country has the capacity to produce its own food but it is being let down by incompetent and corrupt individuals.
The Agricultural Rural Development Authority (ARDA) should not sit on its laurels and let the country be hit by food shortages. A lot of parastatals in this country are not performing, therefore there is need to revamp them. Competent people should be allowed to run these parastatals.
ARDA should by all means be revived and made responsible for food security in line with Zim-Asset. At the moment the mere mention of ARDA reminds people of an organization whose hallmarks are poor production, looting of livestock and machinery and general maladministration at its estates dotted throughout the country.
Currently Chisumbanje and Middle Sabi show a different scenario as the management there is a bit competent compared to the rest. Massive projects are being rolled out with about 40 000 ha of land at Chisumbanje under sugarcane production to produce fuel, while wheat is being grown on a large scale at Middle Sabi.
It is strategic for ARDA to seek more business opportunities and partnerships to boost investment on its 21 estates in the country which hold about 98 000 hectares of arable land while 19 000 hectares has an irrigable capacity. However, of the 21 estates only Chisumbanje is operating viably.
ARDA seeds should have the zeal to establish joint ventures with individuals and companies in the production of several seed crops. The potential partners must be adequately capitalized to not only providing working capital but also investment capital. ARDA needs new capital to replace its outdated seed processing equipment and to revamp its seed quality laboratory.
For the parastatals to be more vibrant, it needs more capital to renovate buildings, seed storage facilities, guest houses and staff houses. The authority also needs assistance for irrigation infrastructural development at its 28 hectare research plot and support of out- grower seed production schemes and other social investments.
ARDA seeds have the potential to produce and market a number of seed crops which include maize, potatoes, wheat, sorghum, millet, soya beans, sunflower, cow peas and groundnuts among others. The authority is facing viability problems owing largely to lack of fresh capital injection at its underutilized estates. Good corporate governance coupled with capital injection will make Zimbabwe the bread basket of the region if not Africa.
The Agricultural Rural Development Authority (ARDA) should not sit on its laurels and let the country be hit by food shortages. A lot of parastatals in this country are not performing, therefore there is need to revamp them. Competent people should be allowed to run these parastatals.
ARDA should by all means be revived and made responsible for food security in line with Zim-Asset. At the moment the mere mention of ARDA reminds people of an organization whose hallmarks are poor production, looting of livestock and machinery and general maladministration at its estates dotted throughout the country.
Currently Chisumbanje and Middle Sabi show a different scenario as the management there is a bit competent compared to the rest. Massive projects are being rolled out with about 40 000 ha of land at Chisumbanje under sugarcane production to produce fuel, while wheat is being grown on a large scale at Middle Sabi.
It is strategic for ARDA to seek more business opportunities and partnerships to boost investment on its 21 estates in the country which hold about 98 000 hectares of arable land while 19 000 hectares has an irrigable capacity. However, of the 21 estates only Chisumbanje is operating viably.
ARDA seeds should have the zeal to establish joint ventures with individuals and companies in the production of several seed crops. The potential partners must be adequately capitalized to not only providing working capital but also investment capital. ARDA needs new capital to replace its outdated seed processing equipment and to revamp its seed quality laboratory.
For the parastatals to be more vibrant, it needs more capital to renovate buildings, seed storage facilities, guest houses and staff houses. The authority also needs assistance for irrigation infrastructural development at its 28 hectare research plot and support of out- grower seed production schemes and other social investments.
ARDA seeds have the potential to produce and market a number of seed crops which include maize, potatoes, wheat, sorghum, millet, soya beans, sunflower, cow peas and groundnuts among others. The authority is facing viability problems owing largely to lack of fresh capital injection at its underutilized estates. Good corporate governance coupled with capital injection will make Zimbabwe the bread basket of the region if not Africa.
Source - Stewart Murewa
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