Farmers in Hwedza District have been challenged to participate in agricultural shows to acquire more knowledge and take farming as a business to ensure food security, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East, Aplonia Munzverengwi, has said.
She made the call while officiating at the Hwedza District Agricultural Show in at Hwedza Centre recently.
"I understand that agricultural shows provide the opportunity to learn and share innovative ideas with experts.
"These shows create platforms which facilitate the development of smallholder groups and individuals.
"Therefore, I recommend all participants to engage with all the essential stakeholders here present in order to ensure maximum utilisation of these exceptional skills and services."
Minister Munzverengwi said farmers across Mashonaland East and the country as a whole, should aim to be champions of grain producers in Africa starting from ward level up to national level. She challenged farmers to take full advantage of the Presidential Inputs Scheme and other input programmes so that a prosperous, diverse and competitive food secure economy could be built as the country aims to achieve Vision 2030.
"I encourage more players to come on board to support all these agricultural projects. I am also impressed by the knowledge and skills exhibited by Hwedza farmers and I would want to remind you that 'Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo', therefore, I am encouraging you to continue to grow and expand your projects and ensure that there is food security in our province," she said.
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"I urge all farmers to continue working hand in glove with your Agriculture Extension officers in order to attain high-yield.
"Government will continue playing its important role and responsibility of availing Presidential inputs, providing smallholder farmers with suitable grain and legume crops, instituting measures for all the beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme to dedicate a certain quota to cereal crop production and small grain production, these programmes were put in place to ensure that our nation has adequate grain," said Minister Munzverengwi.
She also called on farmers to climate-proof their agriculture in the face of adverse weather conditions. "Climate change has become a monster, hence let us adopt appropriate coping strategies by going back to production of orphaned crops as a mitigatory measure.
"Let's respond positively by embracing climate smart agriculture and conservation agriculture. Our marketing systems need to be refined through improved and organised marketing structures," he said.
Government is working towards rehabilitating dams and building and modernising irrigation infrastructure to increase agriculture production in the face of climate change.
