By Christopher Makaza
Through the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), government will continue reviewing producer prices in order to ensure farming business continues to be viable. Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, Preter Haritatos has said.
Speaking at the Agriseeds Research Station Field Day at Agriseeds SANHURST farm in Harare today, Deputy Minister Haritatos announced that Maize and small grains for the 2018/19 marketing season will be $726 per metric tonnes, wheat, $1089, Soyabeans, $918 per tonne while cotton is pegged at $1950 per metric tonne.
Deputy Minister Haritatos said research was a priority endeavour for the Zimbabwean Government as it sought to address agricultural production constraints, adding that Zimbabwe together with other members of the African Union (AU) are committed to implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP),
“Addressing agricultural production constraints through agricultural research is a priority endeavour for the Zimbabwean Government and this is stipulated in the draft Comprehensive Agriculture Policy Framework.
“At the regional level, the Government of Zimbabwe together with other members of the African Union are committed to implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), in which agricultural research and extension is an important anchor. The recommendations made include increased funding for research by international and national research centres, improving the relevance and responsiveness of research to clients, and making the institutional base for agricultural research more pluralistic,” he said.
Deputy Minister Haritatos said a transformed agricultural research system helped to achieve sustainable food and income security for all agricultural producers and consumers, particularly for resource-poor households, whether they are in rural or urban areas.
Same reminded farmers to take responsibility of practising sustainable agriculture because the same land they are tilling today is to be used by generations to come.
“It is my hope that this field day will afford an opportunity for farmers and other stakeholders to exchange notes in order to utilize the best agronomic practices in agricultural production,” he said.
