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Timothy Makohliso Midlands Reporter
Zanu-PF Secretary for Production and Labour, Cde Dzikamai Mavhaire, has told resettlement farmers to up their game and start producing enough grain for the country and export.
Cde Mavhaire, who was in Gweru yesterday as guest of honour at a Field Day held at Divide Farm in Guinea Fowl, told farmers gathered at Cephas Mbavare’s farm that as resettled farmers they were letting the nation down through underutilisation of land and “mere laziness”.

He said farmers should take farming as a business not as a pastime.

“The country’s importation of grain from neighbouring countries is out of the question. It is a situation created out of your idleness. You are allowing laziness to take control, thereby creating grain shortage in the country. It is embarrassing how at times the country is forced to import grain from neighbouring countries when resettled farmers across the country have land and are failing to make use of it. We need to change our ways and start producing,” said Cde Mavhaire who is also the Minister of Energy and Power Development.

He said the government embarked on the land reform programme as a way of empowering local people through drawing benefits from their own resources.

Cde Mavhaire said the ball was now in the land beneficiaries’ court to make sure all is not lost in the government-initiated empowerment drive.

He blasted resettled farmers who fail to take full advantage of the land given to them by the government through the ruling party Zanu-PF.

Cde Mavhaire said farmers should channel their efforts towards supplying the country with adequate grain that can sustain it for many years.

“As Zanu-PF, we started the land reform programme as a way of giving you something you missed the most during the colonial era. To see you wasting one of the country’s precious gifts really bothers us. You should focus on supplying the country with enough grain by taking full advantage of the land that we gave you,” he said.

Cde Mavhaire said resettled farmers were the main reason the country was buying maize from other countries.

He said some resettled farmers were selfish and stingy as they were wasting an important resource that can make Zimbabwe one of the most vibrant countries.

Agriculture, said Cde Mavhaire, is key to the development of Zimbabwe as it is the mainstay of the economy.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here in my own capacity but am just acting as a messenger of the government and our party Zanu PF, which is enraged with what is happening in some resettlement areas. Zanu-PF is a party that places special value to this issue of land.
“We cannot have people complaining about resources always. Utilise what you have and turn your piece of land into a productive plot. If you own two beasts you can still produce the much needed grain. You must draw an example from this young man (Mbavare), the owner of the homestead where we are gathered today. He is only 27 but he has performed wonders at his plot using only two oxen,” he said.

Cde Mavhaire said some key companies like the Cold Storage Company are facing operational challenges yet farmers have thousands of cattle which they were reluctant to sell for the progression of the country.

Resettled farmers had converged at Mbavare’s homestead to celebrate his accolade as the best farmer in Gweru District.

Mbavare won the Master Farmer award after he produced 24 tonnes of maize from only four hectares of land.

His harvest was more than the expected three tonnes per hectare.