Harare — IN the aftermath of the land reform programme, Zimbabwe should take farming as a serious business.

Business by its nature involves inputs, output and profit. A successful business hinges on how the proprietor manages his or her venture by striking a balance between inputs and outputs. There is also the marketing factor.

The 2009/10 summer farming season is fast approaching and hot on its heels are a myriad of challenges, chief among them the unavailability of capital to finance cropping, after what turned out to be a poor marketing season for grain producers.

Currently, poorly-resourced farmers are facing the painful reality of having a glut of expensive inputs on the market, which remain inaccessible to them.

Traditionally, farmers used to complain about the unavailability of inputs on the market while their pockets are awash with cash, but this season both seed and fertilizer are available on the market in abundance yet the prices are out of reach for smallholders who want to go beyond subsistence farming.

Fertilizer is selling at between US$30 and US$42 per 50kg bag while a 50kg bag of maize seed is going for US$50.

A Zimbabwean farmer therefore needs US$600 to buy a tonne of fertilizer. That is way beyond the reach of many farmers, who are receiving US$150 for a tonne of maize.

Compare this with Malawi, for instance, where a 50kg bag of fertilizer is going for US$5 in the shops and US$3,50 in Government-subsidised shops.

A Malawian farmer needs between US$70 and US$100 to buy the same tonne of fertilizer. No wonder Malawi is now a net exporter of maize. A South African farmer buys a bag of fertilizer at US$16 equivalent, which puts a tonne at US$320 equivalent.

The majority of Zimbabwean farmers insist that fertilizer prices are too high while manufacturers argue that the price is fair given that they are paying a fortune for the imported raw materials.

Another problem facing farmers, especially those producing maize, is that there are no takers for their grain. When the Government announced that it had removed controls on agricultural produce such as maize and that the Grain Marketing Board no longer had monopoly over the purchase of grains, many farmers viewed as a blessing.

"Last year we bought inputs at exorbitant prices and we are now failing to market the maize at the price that allows us to break even, never mind buying inputs.

"The truth is that it is difficult for us to go back to the fields this year. We have no market for our maize. If we had managed to sell their maize, we would have bought the inputs by now," said Marondera farmer Augustine Mombe.

The GMB is now the buyer of last resort meaning that farmers are free to sell to the highest bidder. However, private buyers are fleecing farmers and buying their maize for as little as US$150 per tonne.

A case in point is that of Karoi farmers Ngoni Nduna, Norman Madzima and Never Gasho, who are holding on to more than 300 tonnes of maize after failing to market it.

Mr Nduna has 70 tonnes of shelled maize, Mr Gashu 200 tonnes and Mr Madzima another 100 tonnes.

"There is no market. We cannot get the market price we want. If we get the GMB price of US$265, we will sell the maize but where is the money?" asked Mr Gasho.

Millers and other food processors are not buying grain from farmers because they do not have enough cash, either. Most of them are operating below capacity and so cannot afford to buy grain in large quantities or at high prices.

This leaves farmers stranded with some selling a tonne of maize at US$100-US$150 since the GMB, which is offering better prices, does not have cash at hand to pay them.

According to the Zimbabwe Farmers' Union, maize production costs per hectare are US$795 and considering the low yields produced by farmers especially in the communal areas, at such costs, the average farmer will produce at a loss.

Recent findings show that the majority of farmers realise poor yields; sometimes as low as less than a tonne per hectare.

Other agricultural experts say the costs are fair but farmers need to increase yields if they are to break even. However, a number of farmers have not been producing more than three tonnes per hectare for several reasons ranging from lack of inputs and poor farming methods to consecutive droughts.

If farmers are to make a profit at the end of the season, then efforts should be directed towards boosting per hectare yields.

Some agricultural economists have called on the private sector to involve itself more in contract farming.

It is widely acknowledged that contract farming has offers several advantages in countries where smallholder agriculture is widespread, and where agricultural processing and export enterprises are being promoted as is the case with Zimbabwe and other Sadc countries.

ZFU says it is assisting farmers by linking them with contractors and ensuring that they understand the terms of the contract. The union also ensures farmers are not duped in the process.

The country is seeking lines of credit and farmers feel they should be given priority.

Centenary farmer Edward Raradza said talk about a good agricultural season were unlikely to bear any fruit if lines of credit are not made available to farmers.

Presently, only a few banks with funds are offering short-term loans. This is not in the best interest of farmers, most of whose crops take more than three months from planting to harvesting.

Farmers feel Agribank should be recapitalised so that it is in a position to offer them loans. Other commercial banks require collateral but at Agribank, all a farmer needs is a letter of recommendation from the Agritex extension officer.

Besides, Agribank offers affordable repayment terms to farmers.

However, there it is still anybody's guess when the bank will start giving loans to farmers.

The removal of subsidies is also going to affect farmers, both small-scale and commercial. Some farmers have suggested some form of subsidy on either fuel or fertilizer.

But when everything is said and done, time is fast running out for farmers. It is now or never.