Subsidies For Farmers Set To Continue: Govt

Farmers will continue to get subsidies from the government according to reports. This will be done in order to ensure both national food security and sufficient feedstocks as well as raw materials for farmers. The government came up with the Command Agriculture programme to support farmers. Initially Command Agriculture targeted the growing of maize but it has now been extended to cover other crops as well. It is envisaged that the programme will boost agricultural; production resulting in affordable prices for food. President Mnangagwa said

I am alive to arguments for curtailing Government support to farmers, which are often made on the grounds of reducing public debt. Both our national food security requirements and agro-led industrial strategy make these arguments less persuasive… Well-developed economies in European Union countries, whose agriculture is highly mechanised, still subsidise agriculture. This year alone, the European Union, through its Common Agricultural Policy (Cap), is projected to support European farmers and European rural development programmes to the tune of €58,8 billion.

More: Sunday News