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Farmers have an obligation to produce food for the nation and as such only committed farmers should remain on the land. Farmers, we want to believe, appreciate the fact that they have been privileged to get the land which is a finite resource.

It is a fact that not everybody can get land so those that have chosen to be farmers have the responsibility of ensuring that the land is used productively to produce not just for our consumption but even surplus for export.

Zimbabwe has under the fast-track land reform programme allocated land to about 300 000 families. Most of these families have been allocated land in prime farming areas which used to be a preserve of the minority white farmers. Government has over the years been assisting these new farmers with farming inputs under the Presidential Input Scheme.

This farming season, Government has moved a gear up and introduced the Command Agriculture Scheme meant to further enhance food production. Government under the new scheme hopes to produce two million tonnes of maize on about 400 000 hectares this summer cropping season.

Vice President Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa is overseeing the $500 million scheme. Farmers have been selected from different provinces to participate in the new scheme which does not only assist farmers with inputs such as seed and fertilizer but also provides resources for tillage.

The farmers that have accepted to participate in the new scheme must be individuals who share the Government’s vision of producing two million tonnes of maize this season. What this means is that all the inputs and other resources such as fuel being provided by Government should be used for their intended purpose so that Government meets its target of producing two million tonnes of maize.

Farmers who abuse these inputs are saboteurs and as such deserve to be punished severely. We fully support Government’s position that such farmers should be prosecuted. Cde Mnangagwa said Government would descend heavily on those caught abusing inputs. We have already said all farmers who have been privileged to get land have an obligation to feed the nation and it’s even more binding when one receives Government inputs.

Government on its part should have put in place a mechanism to constantly check on those farmers under Command Agriculture in order to ensure the inputs are not abused. It should be the responsibility of the leadership at all levels that include councillors, village heads, MPs and chiefs to monitor these farmers who received inputs so that the country achieves its goal of producing adequate food.

Zimbabwe’s economy is agro-based and as such once the farmers produce adequate food, this will impact positively on the growth of the economy.

Farmers that abuse inputs will be shooting themselves in the foot because they will not only face prosecution but will also be required to pay back as the new scheme is being run on a cost recovery basis.

The season is promising as many parts of the country have so far received heavy rains and there is therefore no excuse for failing to record a bumper harvest.

We implore the farmers to ensure this summer cropping season marks a turning point for the growth of our economy. The resources that are being used to import food should instead be channelled towards productive sectors of our economy such as the manufacturing industry.