Said Ncube, “I am still to be persuaded that command agriculture is the best way to fund agriculture. I think it is a feeding trough for the politically connected with limited impact on production and food security. It is a corruption enabler we must abandon.”
Professor Jonathan Moyo is on record saying the program is of fundraising used by Mnangagwa and his close circle.
Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono told Ncube that the scheme benefited Mnangagwa and his Vice President.
Trevor Ncube
✔@TrevorNcube
I am still to be persuaded that command agriculture is the best way to fund agriculture. I think it is a feeding trough for the politically connected with limited impact on production and food security. It is a corruption enabler we must abandon. #NoToCorruption
“You are very right Brother Trevor Ncube that Command Agriculture is a corrupt pathway! It starts with the President and his VP, they are direct beneficiaries of that corruption!” Chin’ono said. “Even their Economic Advisor Ashok Chakravarti said it openly. It is CORRUPTION not sanctions brother Trevor Ncube.”
When it was launched the scheme was aimed at ensuring food self-sufficiency that was introduced at the start of the 2016 – 2017 farming season following the drought of the previous season. The scheme was introduced as Zimbabwe struggled with economic problems. It was announced in August 2016.
The scheme targeted farmers near water bodies who could put a minimum of 200 hectares under maize per individual. These were found to be 2,000 in total and each farmer was required to produce at least produce 1,000 tonnes of maize. Each participating farmer was required to commit 5 tonnes per hectare towards repayment of advanced loans in the form of irrigation equipment, inputs, and chemicals, mechanized equipment, electricity and water charges.
