By Mercy Matonga:
Commercial farmers in the country expect improved quality and quantity of their produce following the drive to commercialise the agriculture sector.
This comes following the launch of an initiative being implemented by Philip Morris International (PMI) through Pyxus, which gives medium and commercial farmers an opportunity to acquire farming machinery such as tractors on credit.
According to PMI, farmers will be allowed to obtain the tractors with a 20 percent upfront payment, and the rest will be paid over a period of five years with minimal interest compared to the bank.
PMI Vice President of Global Technical Operations Pedro Braga said the organisation is looking forward to investing more in farming to enable farmers with modern farming methods to improve production.
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“There are many smallholder farmers in the country who do not make a lot of profits because they do not have proper farming equipment on their farms.
These machines will reduce labor and improve harvest,”
Braga said.
Minister of Agriculture, Sam Kawale, commended PMI for the initiative, saying that it is in line with the 2063 vision.
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“The use of hoes does not contribute to crop production as the soil is not tilled enough, resulting in poor harvests for farmers. With these machines, the soil is mixed well, resulting in high yields,” Kawale said.
He added that, as the government has already started through mega farms, the arrival of these machines will help farmers simplify farm work.
One of the beneficiaries from the initiative Temwanani Phiri appreciated the initiative as it will help farmers acquire the machines in an affordable way.
“The machinery costs about K50 million, and the repayment period is five years, which is very flexible and will help us farmers a lot,” Phiri said.
