by Tony Saxon
The Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development is distributing a separate package of farming inputs to women in a bid to boost food security in rural areas.
Under the scheme, women from Mutare district received 54,400 tonnes of agricultural lime, compound J, calcium, ammonium nitrate, cotton fertiliser, cowpeas, super fertiliser and compound C.
Manicaland minister of state for provincial affairs Chris Mushohwe, who handed over the inputs, welcomed the initiative as a necessary measure in view of targeting the new Zanu (PF) blueprint, Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation.
“Women in rural areas need empowerment,” said Mushohwe. “Apart from their arable farms, gardens are their lifeline for everyday sustenance. This is where they get their tomatoes and green vegetables to feed their families. We need more of these interventions, especially towards ensuring food security as we have the summer cropping season upon us.” Mushowe added that Zimbabwe should be restored to its former status as the bread-basket of Africa.
“We want to enhance food security so that our people will not live on handouts from non-governmental organisations, or even government handouts,” he said. “We want people to be self-sufficient and restore our national pride as a rich nation of prosperity.”
Speaking on behalf of the minister of women affairs, gender and community development, Oppah Muchinguri, the Manicaland provincial development officer, Chido Tsinakwadi, said such programmes offered an opportunity for women to exploit markets in the agricultural sector.
“This is in line with our ministry’s mandate of spearheading the empowerment of women at all levels,” she said. The scheme would be replicated countrywide.