Harare — Peri-urban agriculture can contribute imme-nsely to national food security if sufficiently supported by all sectors, aspiring Zanu-PF Harare provincial chairperson Cde Amos Midzi has said.

He was speaking at the launch of the Food Foundation Programme at Epworth Secondary School yesterday.

The programme is a party initiative to ensure peri-urban farmers have access to affordable inputs.

Cde Midzi, who is the patron of the Food Foundation Programme, said past experience had shown that urban farming contributed significantly to food security.

He said urban farmers should not be overlooked in input distribution schemes.

"We expect city councils to respect Government policy on peri-urban farming and allow farmers to produce," he said.

He said while peri-urban farmers should be encouraged to carry out their activities, they should not encroach undesignated land.

Cde Midzi said the programme targeted the whole of Harare and did not discriminate along party lines. Food Foundation Programme chairperson Mr Noah Mangondo said last year alone peri-urban farmers in Harare produced about 3 000 tonnes of maize.

"Harare province has proved that peri-urban farming can be counted as an initiative to improve food security in the country since urban residents do not buy mealie-meal because they would have harvested.

"Last year alone, over 5 000 families benefited from peri-urban agriculture and those people still have food reserves as we speak," Mr Mangondo said.

Beneficiaries of the programme hailed the leadership for making inputs affordable.

"This programme has reduced transport and logistical costs because the seed maize has been brought on my doorstep," said Ms Rudo Chaiseva.