Staff Reporter

With the dawn of 2022/23 farming season, 100 000ha of land under sunflower seed is guaranteed for Small-scale farmers.

This was revealed by Zimbabwe’s market regulator, Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) which said they struck a partnership deal with Zimgold and Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services (ARDAS).

In this deal, a total of 69 thousand Small-scale farmers are set to receive 5kg of seed per hectare whilst being guaranteed of a ready market, Zakaria Mupachike Zimgold supply chain manager has said.

“We are giving farmers five kilogrammes for a hectare with all farmers guaranteed of a market for their produce,” he said.

According to Mupachike, the farming programme will commence in Midlands, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West and Manicaland Province. This will ensure that farmers get easy access to market places.

Furthermore, Small-scale farmers will not be required to pay for the inputs nor will they be charged for the cost of same.

“Seed will be given for free and the cost will not be deducted on the farmer’s earnings when they sell their produce as the company aims to promote the sunflower growing scheme,” said Mupachike.

Initiatives such as this one by AMA, ARDAS and Zimgold are a fulfilment of Government’s drive to reduce foreign currency bill of approximately US$200 million on crude oil imports from South Africa annually. Currently, Zimbabwe imports between 55 000 and 65 000 tonnes of crude sunflower oil from South Africa annually. Deals such as this one will definitely cut a huge chuck of foreign spending.

Despite the reduction of foreign currency spending, Small-scale farmers are also set to benefit from this deal as the oil industry was usually monopolised by Commercial farmers. This deal will also ensure that the Agricultural sector will also achieve the US$3 billion sect target by Government.