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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
GOVERNMENT is engaging seed and fertiliser producers to ensure input costs are affordable to all farmers while working on enhancing domestic production to support transformation of the agriculture sector.

This was said by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka in response to farmers’ concerns over “unwarranted price increases”, especially for maize seed and fertiliser.

The president of young farmers within the Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) Mr Prosper Chikwara asked what the Government was doing to cushion farmers from input cost escalation and Dr Masuka acknowledged that seed producers and fertiliser manufacturers had indeed increased prices, but said corrective measures were being taken.

“We were actually discussing this matter with President Mnangagwa and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga that inputs have gone up. Last year, for example, a 10kg bag of maize seed was going for $6 000, but it has now gone up to $17 000. So, seed has gone up and at the moment we want to appeal to seed producers not to increase seed prices,” said Dr Masuka.

“To bring stability to the agriculture sector, we want to localise the production of fertiliser so that in the next three years we don’t hear of importation of fertiliser or ingredients used in the production of the product. We are in discussion with some of the seed companies so that they produce more and flood the market. So, we are looking at stabilising the products by making them locally.”

Mr Chikwara had said as a Matabeleland South farmer, he had five hectares under irrigation and was in the process of clearing more land to put under Pfumvudza/Intwasa, but input costs were on the high side.

Dr Masuka said Government’s grand plan was to ensure that within the next three years, the country has a vibrant fertiliser and seed production base to curb imports.

He assured farmers that the Government will further engage seed producers and that corrective action would be taken.

Agriculture experts also contend that price stability on farming inputs along with improved farming practices such as Pfumvudza/Intwasa are key ingredients in increasing productivity levels in the sector.

ZFU secretary-general Mr Paul Zakariya said it was critical to have affordable inputs as it will allow more farmers to engage in production.

Agronomist Mr Tawanda Mangisi concurred: “The prices of inputs have to be affordable for us to have more people taking up farming. If prices are affordable, it will mean more yields for the country”.

The country is targeting another bumper harvest this season following a historic yield in maize production recorded from the 2020-2021 farming season.