Sustainable solution to resuscitate Zimbabwe's Agriculture

by Dr Vincent Gwarazimba

2011 November 23 17:06:32 | 750 Views

Government is key in the promotion of small scale farming

ADAMAWA - Zimbabwe's agriculture is currently facing serious challenges of productivity. In recent years, productivity has declined drastically and the country is unable to feed itself. The reasons for the collapse of productivity are varied and both agricultural experts and politicians blame the failure of the sector on politics. While politics has indeed played a significant in the demise of the sector, there are other contributing factors.

The unplanned and chaotic land reform is sometimes blamed for food shortages but that may not be the case because maize being the staple crop, 80% of the crop had always been produced by small holder rural farmers. Displaced white commercial farmers were critical to the sector for export crops such as tobacco and horticulture and indeed quality beef for the export market.

Therefore the current challenges must be blamed on first, government policy on the sector. Several policy frameworks on agriculture have been announced over a period of 10 years but these have had little impact because they were politically motivated, emotionally enacted as justification of a runaway land reform process. The policy frameworks lacked content and specifics on investment and role of parastatals in driving home the need to maintain or increase productivity of the sector.

The policy frameworks also lacked technical support, processes and systems to support implementation. The frameworks lacked alternatives and options in the light of climate change and subsequent change in weather patterns.The sector also faces challenges of technical expertise.

Agricultural experts have left the country due to lack of motivation and lack of acknowledgement for their contribution. Indeed Zimbabwe at one time had the best organized extension and research services in Africa, but underfunding and political interference caused collapse of these services. There is unfortunate belief that free inputs can help resuscitate the sector. That is wrong thinking. Free inputs will not sustain the sector. Malawi is an example where input subsidy was too expensive for the government and relied heavily on donor support. When donors pulled the plug, the sector is now on course to collapse.

Sustainable Solution to Resuscitation of the Sector

There is indeed no silver bullet to resuscitation of the sector but the country needs to address the sector as follows;

Policy- Government policy on the sector must correct, organized and specific on delivery of services and support of systems. The role of government in the sector, providing a sustainable and suitable environment for investment in the sector should be clearly defined. Zimbabwe must not only look at and rely on foreign direct investment in the sector but creating an environment that creates, develops and support local investors. Even villagers can be investors if the policies promote and support their interests.

The problem is government has not invested in gathering information on:

a) the driving forces behind small holder farming
b) the interests of the small holder
c) the motivation of the small holder farmer
d) expectations of this farmer
e) internal and external constraints on the small holder farmer
f) infrastructural challenges facing the farmer and indeed
g) understanding the national, regional and international commodity markets relative to the capacity of rural communities to produce quality commodities.

Information on these will enable government to formulate a policy framework supportive of small holder farming and budget for investment in these farmers.

Capacity building of rural farming communities. Much of the say is about free inputs from the Grain Marketing Board. That is not capacity building. It is not sustainable. Solution is on empowerment in the sector. Provide farmers with investment tools in the form of transferable Certificate of Ownership (COOs) on land to enable farmers to access finance.

99 year lease agreements are not a silver bullet in this case but a villager in Chibi depositing an ownership certificate with an agricultural finance bank and get money for inputs, land preparation and even labor depending on the size of the land. This will create value for land and make the farmer understand and appreciate protection of the land as own for future generations. Land must be converted into an asset for rural communities. It must be tradable, exchangeable and protectable and viewed as source of investment.

Enabling technical support for the small holder farmer will go a long way to sustain productivity. Until late 1999s when the Department of Agricultural Extension (Agritex) was dismembered by misguided policies, technical support was effective, enabling farmer training programs and motivating farmers into competitive mode of agricultural production. Indeed then the farmers were receptive to training and desired to be part of growing population of successful small holder farmers.

While the government was at hand to proffer support, small holder farmers were equally enthusiastic to make food production successful. Now the new and young farmers on the land are untrained and technically unqualified to undertake and manage agricultural operations and more so they live on get rich quick mentality through deals which sometimes don’t succeed and farmer ends up selling inputs to make up. Hence it is time government invests heavily in training of young farmers and providing resources to Agritex to provide technical support on a daily basis. New farmers must be kept conscious of their responsibilities to the nation as long as they occupy productive land.

Farmer responsibility to the nation. Much of the current farmer mentality is self-enrichment at the expense of the nation. Farming is indeed a business and must be viewed so but must be undertaken with responsibility to provide nation with sustainable food security. If a farm is suitable for and had history of maize production, why then change to capital intensive tobacco which often fails due to lack of finance. Government must promote sense of responsibility to the nation and farmers must be encouraged to take farming as serious business within the context of serving the nation.

Lack of adequate and suitable infrastructure is one of the major constraints in resuscitating Zimbabwe agriculture. Taking cognizance of small holder farmers as key stakeholders in the business of food production and supply, most of the farming areas are inaccessible due to lack of or dilapidated infrastructure. Thus roads no longer exist because of years of neglect. To make an immediate difference on farming, roads must be rebuilt or improved to increase farmer access to inputs and markets. Domboshava and Mutoko are able to supply Harare with much needed vegetable because of better roads and services.

Supporting and training of technical staff. Research and Agritex staff require support to motivate and drive them into supporting farmers. There are many ways of doing this. It is not about salaries but providing support in the form of vehicle loans payable over a period of time. Previously Agritex officers used to get brand new single cab trucks to enable to access areas remote. Motor bikes will also make a difference.

Thus budget to the Ministry of Agriculture must be inclusive of such vehicles on an annual basis. The technical neglect of the agriculture has also led to decline in quality of human resources. This requires government to recapitalize institutions like Chibero, Gwebi, Mlezu, Esighodini and others and increase capacity and quality.

Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) and Cold Storage Company (CSC). Much has been said about these organizations failing to fulfill their national responsibilities of augmenting food supplies. These two organisations are endowed with land resources but have over the years declined into money wasting monoliths due to neglect by government and mismanagement by incompetent staff.

While there are calls for their privatization that probably is not the solution but take on board a public/private sector arrangement or contract management and let the private sector run the institutions for and on behalf of government. With government providing a limited guarantee of loans acquired from banks and/or with involvement of banks in driving the nation towards a definite goal, CSC and ARDA could make an impact on food security of the nation.

Financial institutions are currently risk averse when it comes to supporting farmers, especially small holder farmers. This is happening across Africa and this has resulted in Africa being food insecure. Indeed the banks have lost confidence in agriculture as a business but it is government policy that creates and motivates desire for investment in the sector.

Perhaps one way of doing this is to have a policy backed by legal framework that works towards cooperation between government and banks in providing financial support to small holder farmers with tacit support and involvement of Agritex. Then Agritex must play a leading role through an Agritex-linked agricultural development limited government/private sector company government and banks.

Commodity pricing is also a major factor in food production. Previously, honest pre-season commodity price announcement promoted maize production. While this has happened in the last few years, however, government did not have money to pay for the produce. There is need to develop an honest culture of does business with farmers and government must take responsibilities having retained the ownership of the Grain Marketing Board.

To make a difference government and private sector must come into position on making the GMB, an institution responsible for food security but answerable to both government and private investors. There is money in food and the private sector has the desire to access the many food storage facilities in the countries in partnership with government.

Agricultural Investment Commission. To oversee and promote investment in the sector. The commission to support and work with small holder farmers, working with and in support of Agritex, financial institutions towards creating commodity market dynamics based on internal and external forces.

Leading markets reviews and guiding policy formulation, working with agricultural establishments for effective and productive use of resources towards a sustainable market structure and food security. A commission based on both government and private sector fostering partnership in developing the sector.

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DR Vincent Gwarazimba, Senior Agricultural Consultant, Adamawa Agricultural Development and Investment Limited (AADIL), Adamawa State Government, NIGERIA. Email vincent.gwarazimba@gmail.com Phone +2348093143032.

Young entrepreneurs farming

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