Opinion / Columnist
Land audits a piece meal to agricultural development!
21 Jun 2016 at 15:38hrs | Views
The much hyped farm land audit which is expected to identity and flash-out multiple farm owners should go an extra mile in ensuring that sustainable agricultural production is realised. Agriculture is a key factor in our economy as it has a potential capacity to absorb over 70% of the workforce in Zimbabwe.
The land reform was meant to benefit all citizens, but some greedy and well connected bigwigs abused this process by grabbing many farms at the expense of other needy citizens. This created inequality on the land as others are still struggling to get the smallest piece of land to provide for their living. Large tracts of land are lying idle as they are possessed by errand farmers who are not using or under utilising the land.
The ideal thing to do is to rationalise the use of our land for the good of the nation. It is imperative that we reactivate our systems to promote market gardening, flower production, crop production and animal husbandry. This certainly transforms our country in a big way by restoring our agrarian economic status which characterised this country since time immemorial.
Agricultural production is the main source of livelihood for many people. Some are subsistence farmers while a few are doing commercial farming and operations. Approximately 70 % of the people directly rely on agriculture as a means of living.
Agriculture is the main source of national income for most developing countries. However, for the developed countries, agriculture contributes a smaller per cent age to their national income.
Farming plays an essential role of providing fodder for domestic animals. Cows provide people with milk which is a form of protective food. Moreover, livestock also meets people's food requirements, for instance beef, mutton and pork. Other agricultural products like sugar, tea, rice, spices, tobacco, coffee etc. constitute the major items of exports for the country to earn foreign currency.
If there is smooth development practice of agriculture, which of course is lacking at this point in time, imports are reduced while export increases considerably. This helps to reduce countries unfavourable balance of payments as well as saving foreign exchange. This amount may be well used to import other essential inputs like machinery, raw-material, and other infrastructure that is helpful for the support of country's economic development.
The growth of agricultural sector contributes to marketable surplus. Many people engage in manufacturing, mining as well as other non- agricultural sector as the nation develops. All these individuals rely on food production that they might meet from the nation's marketable surplus. As agricultural sector development takes place, production increases and this leads to expansion of marketable surplus. This may be exported to other nations.
The main source of raw materials to major industries such as cotton and jute fabric, sugar, tobacco, edible as well as non-edible oils is agriculture. Moreover, many other industries such as processing of fruits as well as vegetables and rice husking get their raw material mainly from agriculture.
Bulks of agricultural products are transported by railways and roadways from farm to factories, thereby promoting the growth of that sector. Mostly, internal trade is in agricultural products. Moreover, the revenue of the government, to a larger extent, relies on the success of agricultural sector.
The nation's export trade depends largely on agricultural sector. For example, agricultural commodities such as jute, tobacco, spices, oilseeds, raw cotton, tea as well as coffee accounts for approximately 18 % of the entire value of exports of a country. This demonstrates that agriculture products also continue to be important source of earning a country foreign exchange.
Construction of irrigation schemes, drainage system as well as other such activities in the agricultural sector is important as it provides larger employment opportunities. Agriculture sector provides more employment opportunities to the labour force that reduce the high rate of unemployment in developing countries caused by the fast growing population.
Since agriculture employs many people it contributes to economic development. As a result, the national income level as well as people's standard of living is improved. The fast rate of development in agriculture sector offers progressive outlook as well as increased motivation for development. Hence, it aids to create good atmosphere for overall economic development of a country. Therefore, economic development relies on the agricultural growth rate.
Development in agriculture may also increase savings. The rich farmers we see today started saving particularly after green revolution. This surplus quantity may be invested further in the agriculture sector to develop the sector.
A stable agricultural sector ensures a nation of food security. The main requirement of any country is food security. Food security prevents malnourishment that has traditionally been believed to be one of the major problems faced by the developing countries. Most countries rely on agricultural products as well as associated industries for their main source of income.
The land that we have to our disposal gives us confidence and hope that we can extricate ourselves from this predicament of an economic crunch which is threatening our livelihood.
The land audit committee should make recommendations on functional strategies which should be employed to make Zimbabwe working again. Let's hope that this current land audit process will never be similar to the previous ones which started and ended on paper.
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Sparkleford Masiyambiri <sparklefordmasiyambiri@gmail.com
The land reform was meant to benefit all citizens, but some greedy and well connected bigwigs abused this process by grabbing many farms at the expense of other needy citizens. This created inequality on the land as others are still struggling to get the smallest piece of land to provide for their living. Large tracts of land are lying idle as they are possessed by errand farmers who are not using or under utilising the land.
The ideal thing to do is to rationalise the use of our land for the good of the nation. It is imperative that we reactivate our systems to promote market gardening, flower production, crop production and animal husbandry. This certainly transforms our country in a big way by restoring our agrarian economic status which characterised this country since time immemorial.
Agricultural production is the main source of livelihood for many people. Some are subsistence farmers while a few are doing commercial farming and operations. Approximately 70 % of the people directly rely on agriculture as a means of living.
Agriculture is the main source of national income for most developing countries. However, for the developed countries, agriculture contributes a smaller per cent age to their national income.
Farming plays an essential role of providing fodder for domestic animals. Cows provide people with milk which is a form of protective food. Moreover, livestock also meets people's food requirements, for instance beef, mutton and pork. Other agricultural products like sugar, tea, rice, spices, tobacco, coffee etc. constitute the major items of exports for the country to earn foreign currency.
If there is smooth development practice of agriculture, which of course is lacking at this point in time, imports are reduced while export increases considerably. This helps to reduce countries unfavourable balance of payments as well as saving foreign exchange. This amount may be well used to import other essential inputs like machinery, raw-material, and other infrastructure that is helpful for the support of country's economic development.
The growth of agricultural sector contributes to marketable surplus. Many people engage in manufacturing, mining as well as other non- agricultural sector as the nation develops. All these individuals rely on food production that they might meet from the nation's marketable surplus. As agricultural sector development takes place, production increases and this leads to expansion of marketable surplus. This may be exported to other nations.
The main source of raw materials to major industries such as cotton and jute fabric, sugar, tobacco, edible as well as non-edible oils is agriculture. Moreover, many other industries such as processing of fruits as well as vegetables and rice husking get their raw material mainly from agriculture.
Bulks of agricultural products are transported by railways and roadways from farm to factories, thereby promoting the growth of that sector. Mostly, internal trade is in agricultural products. Moreover, the revenue of the government, to a larger extent, relies on the success of agricultural sector.
The nation's export trade depends largely on agricultural sector. For example, agricultural commodities such as jute, tobacco, spices, oilseeds, raw cotton, tea as well as coffee accounts for approximately 18 % of the entire value of exports of a country. This demonstrates that agriculture products also continue to be important source of earning a country foreign exchange.
Construction of irrigation schemes, drainage system as well as other such activities in the agricultural sector is important as it provides larger employment opportunities. Agriculture sector provides more employment opportunities to the labour force that reduce the high rate of unemployment in developing countries caused by the fast growing population.
Since agriculture employs many people it contributes to economic development. As a result, the national income level as well as people's standard of living is improved. The fast rate of development in agriculture sector offers progressive outlook as well as increased motivation for development. Hence, it aids to create good atmosphere for overall economic development of a country. Therefore, economic development relies on the agricultural growth rate.
Development in agriculture may also increase savings. The rich farmers we see today started saving particularly after green revolution. This surplus quantity may be invested further in the agriculture sector to develop the sector.
A stable agricultural sector ensures a nation of food security. The main requirement of any country is food security. Food security prevents malnourishment that has traditionally been believed to be one of the major problems faced by the developing countries. Most countries rely on agricultural products as well as associated industries for their main source of income.
The land that we have to our disposal gives us confidence and hope that we can extricate ourselves from this predicament of an economic crunch which is threatening our livelihood.
The land audit committee should make recommendations on functional strategies which should be employed to make Zimbabwe working again. Let's hope that this current land audit process will never be similar to the previous ones which started and ended on paper.
-----------------
Sparkleford Masiyambiri <sparklefordmasiyambiri@gmail.com
Source - Sparkleford Masiyambiri
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