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WE are two months away from the onset of the 2015/16 planting season. Focus now falls on the state of preparedness by farmers. As the nation awaits the onset of the rainy season, presumably around November, all systems should be in place for the country to achieve a bumper harvest. Cognisant of the poor yields recorded in the previous farming season due to drought, farmers should hasten their preparations to avert any future food shortages. We urge our farmers to start tilling the land, buy seed and fertiliser, and mobilise funding to score higher yields.

We are encouraged by the fact that the government has already mobilised farming equipment for small holder farmers under the $98 million Brazilian More Food for Africa loan. The equipment is being distributed across the country.

Recently, Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa said Zimbabwe requires about $1,7 billion to fund crop and livestock production in the coming 2015-16 summer cropping season. The figure is a significant increase compared to $1,2 billion allocated last year.

Supporting agricultural production is in line with the aims of the food and nutrition cluster under Zim-Asset.

We hope Treasury will avail such funding on time to enable farmers to produce over two million metric tonnes of cereals needed for human and livestock consumption and over 200 million kilogrammes of tobacco, the highest figure produced by farmers in the 1999-2000 season.

We applaud the stance taken by the fertiliser industry to reduce by 20 percent the cost of fertiliser, a critical input for improved yields.

If implemented, the proposed price reduction will see a 50kg bag of fertiliser, which is selling at $38, coming down to $30.

While that price remains high compared to prices in the region, it would be a good starting point for most farmers.

Agriculture is the mainstay of Zimbabwe’s economy and through it the country expects to build a robust base for improved livelihoods and employment creation, hence food security and nutrition is a major component of Zim-Asset.

The blue-print outlines several measures such as availing a Presidential Input Scheme focusing on supporting vulnerable groups and ensuring other farmers get inputs at affordable costs and timeously.

In his mid-term fiscal policy statement, Chinamasa said $1,3 billion of the $1,7 billion required will be channelled towards crop production.

He said the government would assist 300,000 vulnerable groups with input support schemes at a cost of $28 million.

The input support package will include a 10kg of seed maize, 50kg of Compound D fertiliser and a bag of Ammonium Nitrate fertiliser for top dressing. We are also encouraged by the government’s thrust to resuscitate irrigation schemes across provinces to ensure the country produces throughout the year.

The onus now largely lies with individual farmers and small holder cooperatives that benefited from the historic land reform programme to work hard and produce more food.

We also urge the banking sector to avail funding for farmers and the private sector to enter into contract farming agreements.

Zimbabwe, which used to be the bread basket of the region, has sadly turned into a net importer of grain from countries such as Malawi and Zambia.

Last week, President Mugabe stressed the need to adopt innovative and research-based approaches to boost food production to counter the effects of climate change. We concur that while climate change is a reality, we have no reason as a nation to starve when we have the best land resource, water and skills to produce.

Zimbabwe has the potential not only to produce for local consumption but to supply the deficit-ridden region.

Estimates indicate up to 27 million people are in dire need of food aid following poor yields in the region.

This year alone the government has approved importation of 700,000 metric tonnes of grain, mainly from Zambia to beef up strategic grain reserves. There are even plans to import grain from as far as South America.

This should not be the case. Zimbabwean farmers who benefited from the land reform programme should justify their presence on their allocated pieces of land.

It is time they put their shoulders to the wheel and worked the land to restore the country’s status as the breadbasket of the region.