Opinion / Columnist
The Zimbabwe we want - Agriculture revival must focus on food security
11 May 2014 at 16:56hrs | Views
Chapter 9
The primary national priority is to achieve national food security. We cannot have a situation where we have to import food while we have underutilised land. Our agriculture policy in the Zimbabwe we want must first ensure that the country can feed its people.
The simple approach is to first as a country to agree on what our national food requirements are each and every year. We therefore must make sure there is sufficient land set aside and where necessary contracted to produce maize. As a country we need to be very clear of our needs first.
We have the skills and the expertise to farm and we cannot afford to look at colour, tribe, gender or political affilliation, so every Zimbabwean who wishes to apply their skills to produce must be afforded that opportunity. There are a lot of farms lying idle and we cannot afford to be partisan while farms sit idle.
The state has large tracts of land that can be leased and attract competent farmers who can produce what we need. We cannot sit on that capacity and use politics to arrest our potential to feed ourselves. In the Zimbabwe we want, we do not want to import food at all. In fact we want to be a net exporter of food as we used to be. That is certainly achievable.
We then must ensure that everyone who is on land has security of tenure so they can make it productive. Because we have first endured food security, it really will not matter what farmers choose to grow on their land as long as they are viable. This will allow diversity and healthy competition in the sector.
Creating an active land market is critical for the economy and security of tenure will ensure that. Farmers who own land can therefore mortgage, sell or buy as they wish because this will have a positive impact productivity and hence food security of the nation. Increases activity in agriculture of course will have a positive impact on the economy as a whole.
We then must look at the issue of inputs. We need as a country to have a clear inputs policy that depoliticises inputs, cuts off unnecessary middle men and therefore prevent high prices of inputs. We must produce as much as we can locally. For example we can produce our own fertiliser and we need to encourage the establishment of a local fertiliser industry that will benefit the economy as a whole. We need to invest in new technologies in that sector.
On the issue of removing the conflict on land and compensation, our constitution currently covers the issue of compensation and this must also be our priority. There are many alternatives of addressing the compensation issue and coming up with ways and means of funding it. We must remove the conflict over land in order for that land to become a productive asset. Our political leadership is failing to address this issue despite the fact that the constitution allows for it. The constitution needs to be implemented fully.
The funding of farming activity will only happen when we remove the conflict on land and give security of tenure to every farmer.That will automatically create better access to capital for that sector.
Next we must address the availability of extension and support services to farmers. Management and planning will be provided to new farmers so that they become more productive.
There is need to ensure better access to markets.Infrastructure rehabilitation for access to markets is critical. This must include a commodities exchange that allows farmers to go to market as efficiently as possible and they must get fair price for their produce.
We will then look at the rehabilitation and development of irrigation infrastructure to ensure continuous production so that we immunise the sector from the effects of drought. Zimbabwe has adequate water resources and dams and it is a matter of us making this a priority area. We cannot talk of food security when the nation is always vulnerable to the negative effects of drought.
Our water and power policies must of course fit in with our agricultural objectives. We must take a holistic view which also includes environmental management.
In the Zimbabwe we want, we expect that farmers who own land to pay taxes and this will ensure that those who own land use it productively. We cannot have a situation where people are sitting on land as is the case now. That is unacceptable.
Zimbabwe has the skills and the resources it requires to achieve food security, revive agriculture and ensure that we have a viable farming sector. Unfortunately our politicians have interfered in this and their intervention has destroyed tremendous value including lost livelihoods. We must change that.
In the Zimbabwe we want we will de radicalise agriculture while ensuring that all Zimbabweans who want to farm can do so.
Vince Musewe is an economist and author based in Harare. Elton Mangoma is a Zimbabwean politician and entrepreneur. You may contact Vince directly on vtmusewe@gmail.com
Source - Vince Musewe & Elton Mangoma
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