via Be self-reliant, farmers told – NewsDay Zimbabwe September 3, 2015
RESERVE Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya yesterday blasted local farmers for their dependence on inputs from the government and urged them to be self-reliant.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
Mangudya made the remarks while officiating at the Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union 75th annual congress in Mutare.
“They [farmers] should move away from culture of getting freebies from government. It puts much pressure on government. We have so much pressure. There are some people [farmers] who are relaxing waiting for government to assist them,” he said.
“I grew up in Chimanimani, but we never got something for free, let’s put our house in order as farmers, I am here because farming forms the backbone of our economy,” he said.
Government has been providing inputs to the new resettled farmers, who are known to be aligned to Zanu Pf government.
The farmers have failed to produce adequately, forcing the country to rely on imports.
The governor said farmers should add value to their products so they can meet international export standards adding that farming was the most difficult business one could engage in.
“Farming is the most difficult business that one can engage in because sometimes you will not know how much the commodity will fetch, look at cotton, prizes always change and also it needs timing and good planning,” he said.
In a speech read on his behalf, Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa called on local farmers to adjust their farming methods in line with climatic changes.
COMMENTS
But why should the povo farmers be self sufficient when the chefs get 8 farms each and ALL their inputs are free….from RBZ. Water and Zesa they also get for free. Why? Explain
The RBZ’s idea of being self reliant is to print money! That way they stole everybody’s savings. Self reliant thieves at RBZ.
Well you see, the Land Grab was such an excellent idea! What a pity that no one thought that you can’t borrow money (for “inputs”) unless you have colateral. And no one remembered that title deeds did very well for colateral.
I cannot remember the real farmers begging for “inputs”. I also remember the real farmers assisting many subsistence farmers.
But the real farmers were BAD – because they were not all black