Farming needs innovation: President | The Herald

The Herald

Patrick Chitumba  and Freedom Mupanedemo
FARMERS need to put in extra effort towards increasing crop production, while practising value-addition to break even and realise meaningful profits, President Mnangagwa said yesterday.

He was speaking during a field day at his Pricabe Farm in Sherwood near Kwekwe.

The President, a successful commercial farmer, who has already started processing his harvests to add value, told guests that value-addition would see Zimbabwe reduce imports and boost incomes.

In attendance were First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, Cabinet Ministers, Zanu PF Central Committee members who included Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa and Zion Christian Church leader Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi.

The President urged farmers to embrace new technologies to maximise production.

“Here we say production, production, production and trade,” he said. “So, to add value to the crops we produce here, we moved to processing and marketing. We chose maize and wheat, to which we value-add.

“From maize, we plant, reap and grind it to produce maize-meal and that is production and value addition. From wheat, we used to hear bread producers saying that the wheat we produce here is not good to make standard and good quality bread. They said it needed to have some additives.

“But here we bake our own bread, which is very good. From the 1 000 or 2 000 tonnes of wheat that we produce, we make the bread we eat here and we sell some of it. So, we have to emphasise production and value-addition so that we bake our bread without any additives, which are imported.”

The President said through embracing new farming technologies and techniques, Government had introduced a new farming concept called Pfumvudza to maximise productivity on each farming unit, even during droughts, to ensure household and national food security and good nutrition.

Pfumvudza involves the use of small plots and applying the correct agronomic practices for higher returns.

The approach can be used in marginal areas and still give high yields.

“So we are saying anywhere you are, plant 52 lines of maize on a space of 38 by 16 metres,” said President Mnangagwa. “Your small gardens, if used properly, can produce buckets of maize for you to feed your family.

“A year has 52 weeks and each week you consume a line. It is also easy to attend to the crops. In a year or two we want to beat hunger.

“Each household should be able to implement this kind of farming so that they have food for consumption and some to beautify the homestead and the livelihood of the people. Here we are self-sufficient, which is very possible for all of us.

“We grow vegetables, potatoes and we have milk. That is very achievable. Wherever you are you can use the land to the maximum. We also learn from others and you can do the same.”

President Mnangagwa commended Seed Co for facilitating the event, which he said was a success.

“I am standing on behalf of the farm manager vaMnangagwa Patrick, but he is younger than me,” he said. “I welcome you all. Thank you for coming. You respected my family by coming here. Seed Co invited many farmers who are here from many districts to show them how well their seeds perform.

“And all of you people came here to support me. There was a farmers’ meeting at Pricabe Farm and you showed interest by coming here and I thank you for supporting me and my family. I think that from the time I came here between 2003 and 2004, we have been learning and learning and we are still learning and we can see that each year we are doing better; we will continue learning as you can see from this kind of farming.

“This young brother of mine told me that we needed to explore how other farmers were now conducting their business. He then went to google on the internet and identified a company called Agrico from South Africa.”

Agrico, President Mnangagwa said, has technology that one can install and use on the mobile cellphone to control farming activities

such as irrigation by monitoring the quantities of water to be used.

“He (Patrick) spent a week there and when he came back, I saw that he had learnt new things, which I didn’t know. I told him that I was aware of the technology he brought and permitted him to try it.

“It was new and I was not used to that type of farming. So it was a success and even if he comes to Harare, he is able to irrigate his crops over the cellphone. He can decide to switch it on or off. Let’s say he chooses centre pivot number nine while in Harare, he can instruct the pumps at the river to draw water,” said President Mnangagwa amid ululation and clapping of hands by dignitaries and other people present.

The President said if every Zimbabwean showed interest in farming, then the country would have no hunger.

“If we all show interest in farming we can kick hunger out of this country,” he said. “If we all embrace new forms of farming such as Pfumvudza, our country will be food sufficient and if a farmer walking on the road happens to meet hunger, then hunger will divert its course and run away. That is where we are supposed to go.”

Defence and War Veterans Affairs Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who was representing Guest of Honour Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, also spoke of the effects of climate change, saying the country must do something about it.

“We have to engage in serious farming methods so that we are able mitigate the effects of climate change,” she said. “Now we have dams, which we can use for irrigation but are not fully utilizing them.”

The field day was designed to show how it is possible to make full use of land, and show that farming is a proper business that can create jobs and generate exports.

Companies involved in seed, farm equipment, and fertiliser making took advantage of the gathering to show off their products.

The tour of the 400ha took about two hours to show all the guests the soyabean crop, a thriving maize, sugar beans and potato crop, and a modern irrigation system.

Yesterday’s Field Day was designed to show doubting farmers that President Mnangagwa means it when he speaks about the need to increase production as he has done this, with his younger brother Patrick active in management and introducing new smart farming technologies.