The ManicaPost
Agriculture reporter
IN an effort to ensure that inputs costs are affordable to all farmers, Government has moved to engage seed and fertiliser producers as it continues working on enhanching local production to support the agriculture sector’s transformation.
Farmers had expressed concern over what they termed unwarranted increases in seed and fertiliser prices.
They said this was making business unviable and were now incurring losses as the producer prices pegged by Government and other buyers was being eroded.
This comes at a time planting has started in most parts of the country while many farmers have intensified land preparations and inputs procurement.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuku said Government is working on ameliorating the situation.
“We were actually discussing this matter with President Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga that inputs have gone up. So, seed has gone up and at the moment we want to appeal to seed producers not to increase seed prices.
“To bring stability to the agriculture sector, we want to localise the production of fertiliser so that in the next three years we do not hear of importation of fertiliser or ingredients used in the production of the product,” said Dr Masuka.
He said Government was in discussion with some of the seed companies so that they produce more and flood the market, a development he said would stabilise the products by making them locally.
