Zimbabwe seeks more use of agrochemicals

Government needs to create strong partnerships with agro-industrial companies to ensure success in its efforts to achieve massive agricultural production, Zimbabwe's Minister of Agriculture, Rugare Gumbo, has said.

Gumbo said the success of the current farming season hinged on strong partnerships to restore the country’s status as the breadbasket of Southern Africa. "With the labour challenges currently bedevilling our agriculture, agro-chemical companies have a big role to play in promoting the use of chemicals such as herbicides and nematicides. This will go a long way in ensuring weed and nematode-free crops, thus enhancing yields," he said.

Agricura produces such agro-chemicals as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, nematicides and dips, among others. The company, at its peak of production, accounted for more than 50 percent of supplies to the agro-chemical market but the current economic situation had seen this declining to about 30 percent.

Gumbo said the prevailing high level of pest-related diseases and infections, exacerbated by the current low availability of livestock chemicals, would end if the government works in partnership with private companies. "Our institutions and departments like farmers’ unions, Agritex, research and development, veterinary services and colleges are at the disposal of agro-chemical companies so that together we produce Zimbabwean products."

Agricura managing director Mr Dennis Anderson said the company has continued to grow despite challenges facing the country. He said the company also believed Zimbabwe would make raise agricultural production.

"We are very optimistic that the coming year would be better in agricultural production," he added.

He said Agricura had followed the Government’s Look-East Policy by forging partnerships with companies in China to improve agro-chemical supplies.

The Herald