We do not want to rush to cut the farms because when we were given inputs, we have records. The records are there at the GMB. I was one of the people who would take a lot of produce to GMB because I used the inputs but there are people who are not using the inputs. Let us separate the issues. I have 1 000 cattle. So I think that the Land Commission should give more land to people who have cattle because one cow needs 4 hectares. So with my 1 000 cattle, it means I need 4 000 hectares. This means that the Land Commission should also look into that and review especially those who are into cattle farming that they should be given more land.
This is because these people went and took loans from the bank. The 99 year lease allows people to go and take loans from the bank. It does not say you can get loan from the bank only, but you can get loans from anyone, then you give that 99 year lease to that person and it is allowed. So, before you take away the farms from these people, is the Land Commission going to pay the loans they have? They should also look at that. We should not rush that people are not able to farm because it is the Government which has failed to give people inputs.
On Command agriculture, we are looking forward that the Land Commission should look into that so that it looks at farms which have irrigation that they will be given the inputs. I think they will also be involved in recommending farms which should benefit from this command agriculture. This will help that the fertilizers will not only be directed to the bosses.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am appealing to you Hon. Members. I think you should listen to what Hon. Mliswa is saying because Hon. Members are conducting other meetings. We want to hear what the Hon. Member is saying.
*HON. MLISWA: The Land Commission should also give out recommendations to the Minister of Agriculture on which farms should have irrigation. We do not want to keep on channeling money to other farms. They should recommend that new farms should get irrigation schemes, not that the Minister of Agriculture should send AREX officers to do the investigation. I think when it comes to that; they should work together with the Commission – like what I did in Norton, I caught them off balance, unaware. This is just an example that they should move together, there is nothing that I am saying. I want to go back to this land board that youths should also be looked at. It really pains me as a person who leads a non-political organisation. Most of them do not have farms and they have agriculture degrees but are not given any land. So, I am just pleading with the Land Commission that when they are working, they should also prioritise the youths. Those who used to steal inputs should also give those farms to the youths who do not have farms. Where I come from in Norton; a lot of youths are staying with their parents.
Many people have sold their cattle so that they educate their children; I think this is not the Zimbabwe that we want. Land should be a solution. The youths should be considered as well. If you go to China, you see that you do not need this vast land; they have cooperatives which are really organised. What is important is who buys the produce. I was talking to Hon. Made that in Norton, there are a lot of farms, there is GMB and there is a stock-feed company for GMB.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, I want to remind the Hon. Member that he is left with five minutes.
*HON. MLISWA: I will be happy that they should put more inputs to the farmers in Norton so that when they plough, the products produced in Mashonaland Central should not be transported to Mashonaland West. It should stand on its own because there is a GMB there which is lying idle. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you and I will stop here.
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