GOVERNMENT is leaving nothing to chance in mechanising the agriculture sector ahead of the summer cropping season, with farmers set to get tractors and combine harvesters under various schemes.
A tour of the Institute for Agriculture Engineering by the Minister of State in the Office of the President and Cabinet in charge of Monitoring the Implementation of Special Agriculture and Related Programmes, Honorable Davis Marapira reflected the strides made in mechanising the agricultural sector.
With tractors and combine harvesters sourced through John Deere and Belarus ready for distribution, Honourable Marapira noted the need to speed up the process ahead of the summer cropping season
“We have seen tractors from 100horse power to 150, which awaits distribution, what we hope is to be able to distribute them in times before the 15th of September when the ploughing season begins,” he said.
Treasury has also disbursed funds to capacitate local companies which are manufacturing accessories and they have not disappointed
“The ministry of agriculture contracted local companies to manufacture disc harrows, boom sprayers and ploughs having realised the machinery coming in has no attachments,” said Mr Martin Munyati, Acting Director Department of Mechanisation.
Agriculture mechanisation is on the government’s priority list to grow the sector which is key to industrial development and national food self-sufficiency.
