via Agric motion stirs heated Parly debate – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 23, 2014 by Veneranda Langa
A MOTION moved by Zanu PF MPs calling on the government to promulgate proper agricultural policies stirred a heated debate when MDC-T MPs blamed the ruling party supporters of strangling the sector by abusing free inputs they received from government.
Bindura South MP Toendepi Remigious Matangira (Zanu PF) sparked the debate when he said there should be a policy to command that 50% of agricultural activities should be maize farming to ensure food security.
“Government should establish a yearly strategic food reserve production including livestock and that government should plan now and have inputs available in June for the summer 2014/15 season and not in November,” Matangira said.
“We should have a policy on agricultural financing and support from banks for meaningful production and request fertiliser and seed companies to lend fertiliser and seed to farmers, both rural and communal, the cost of which is to be repaid after the harvest.” .
Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba seconded the motion and blasted the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) making farmers to pay for water usage.
“The Zambezi River draws its water from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zinwa is not paying the country for that water and yet they charge farmers for using the water,” Chinotimba said.
“White farmers never used to be charged for using electricity and water, but we went to war and are made to pay for water and electricity. We should have granaries in the country, but those granaries should be filled with grain and land should also be allocated to opposition supporters so that they see the importance of inputs.”
Zaka Central MP Paradzai Chakona (Zanu PF) said farming should be supported by fertiliser companies and banks, adding that the fresh wave of farm invasions should stop in order to promote food security.
The Zanu PF MPs also said there should be a policy to ensure that the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) was made the sole buyer of all maize grain.
However, Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya (MDC-T) blamed his Zanu PF counterparts of crippling the agricultural sector.
“The very same people who were given land are failing to utilise it. Farming is a business which needs support from banking institutions. We agree the land question is not reversible, but we must support it by giving title deeds to make land bankable,” Chikwinya said.
Southerton MP Gift Chimanikire (MDC-T) added: “The GMB cannot be the sole buyer of maize because they failed before. There was indeed supply of free fertiliser and seed, but all these facilities were abused.”
COMMENTS
“The Zambezi River draws its water from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zinwa is not paying the country for that water and yet they charge farmers for using the water,” Chinotimba said.
“White farmers never used to be charged for using electricity and water, but we went to war and are made to pay for water and electricity.
People of Zimbabwe you have a very serious problem…..with this mind set and calibre determining the course of our country, I am very sorry. It appears like a joke ….but this is serious.
Chinatimba stick to driving busses for the council !!!!! Free water and zesa my a…..
It’s hard to enter your donkey in a race and expect it to win if you have eaten it’s back legs already
Chinotimba the genius! Where the h…did he get the notion that white farmers did not pay for water and electricity?? Idiot.
“The Zambezi River draws its water from the Democratic Republic of “Congo and Zinwa is not paying the country for that water and yet they charge farmers for using the water,” Chinotimba said.
“White farmers never used to be charged for using electricity and water, but we went to war and are made to pay for water and electricity. We should have granaries in the country, but those granaries should be filled with grain and land should also be allocated to opposition supporters so that they see the importance of inputs.”
Wow what a Parliamentarian. This is what we will pay for. This is the calibre of people in Parliament. At least he has admitted that land is not issued to opposition supporters.That is the only sensible thing he said. If he was not an evil man his calling would be comedy. He would put the likes of Trevor Noah to shame.(sorry Trevor).
Chinotimba water is a finite resource that should come with a cost. Before you guys think about farming and address food security get proper agricultural training or attend master farmer classes that Arex is offering Zimbabwe food security wont be addressed unless properly trained people are resttled on the farms. My call to the president is that give land to all agricultural graduates to all students coming from agric colleges, thus their employment focus and let these ministers dwell on policy issues. Farming is not their business
Chinotimba water is a finite resource that should come with a cost. Before you guys think about farming and address food security get proper agricultural training or attend master farmer classes that Arex is offering Zimbabwe food security wont be addressed unless properly trained people are resttled on the farms. My call to the president is that give land to all agricultural graduates to all students coming from agric colleges
I can just imagine the DRC saying to Zimbabwe 200 billion litres of water has been sent to you via the Zambezi in the last hour you owe us so much. Then Zimbabwe says to Mozambique “the water the DRC sent us we have passed on to you you owe us so much.” Then Mozambique charges all the countries that have Sea sides that are affected by the Zambezi water??????? What planet is this clown from?
While it is good to support agriculture by free inputs, this has failed since it was started, because it had no supervision. I feel with the aid of Agricultural Field Officer there present to aggressively look into it this programme may work. Besides, the government should not only give fertilizer but tractors to till the land. Farmers are charged $80-$90 per hectare buy private tractor owners, how many hectares then would the peasant farmers afford? The government should beef up DDF with tractors so that its affordable to many, the BIG FISH must be considerate when this happens.
You see, it is the belief in outright lies like this that means the country can never recover. Trying to speak rationally to most Zimbos is a total waste of time.
“White farmers never used to be charged for using electricity and water, but we went to war and are made to pay for water and electricity. We should have granaries in the country, but those granaries should be filled with grain and land should also be allocated to opposition supporters so that they see the importance of inputs.”
This is the problem when baboons are elected to parliament
WTF….white farmers not only paid for water and electricity….they also paid for their farms. Typical we want it for free mentality, who supplies free electricity in Zim (or more correctly what did Zim have before candles…..electricity)
The current calibre of M.P. is indeed shocking. ‘We agree the land question is not reversible, but we must support it by giving title deeds to make land bankable,” Chikwinya said. Really! The real issue is around competence of being a farmer not resources as per his statement that new farmers are disposing of inputs. How can he agree that the land question is not reversible when by calling a question you are saying it’s an unresolved issue? What he is suggesting is are ‘band aids’when what is required in a major operation! Trust me, unless a proper land reform is put in place there will be no progress in providing food security.