LAW enforcement agencies have launched countrywide sting operations to nab farmers who are abusing free agricultural inputs provided by Government under the Command Agriculture Scheme.
The Sunday Mail understands that police deployed undercover officers to investigate malpractices, with those caught on the wrong side of the law facing arrest. It is understood that some unscrupulous farmers are selling diesel, fertilisers, herbicides and maize seed provided under the programme, in direct contravention of the scheme’s regulations and Government directives.
Provincial programme team leaders who spoke to our Harare Bureau said cases of abuse had been reported in some districts.
Police last week confirmed that several culprits had been apprehended in Mashonaland East and Manicaland provinces.
National Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said investigations were ongoing, adding that police were using specialised investigation techniques to unmask culprits.
Said Snr Asst Comm Charamba: “As police we continue to monitor the situation in all provinces and arrests will be effected where we have reason to believe a crime has been committed. Already, arrests have been made in several provinces like Manicaland. While arrests have been made we have not consolidated the national figures, so I cannot at the moment give you the exact number of those who have been arrested.
“We have been communicating to members of the public that they should come forward to the nearest police station and report such cases so we can investigate them.”
Our Harare Bureau last week gathered that some farmers in Mashonaland Central were being investigated after authorities received tip-offs on how they were selling a 20-litre diesel coupon for US$15 and a 50kg bag of fertiliser for US$25.
A top official in the Mashonaland Central Provincial Command Agriculture team said police had deployed undercover officers to bust the rackets.
The official said: “We continue to receive reports of abuse of the scheme from members of the public on how some farmers are abusing inputs. From the reports we have gathered that fertiliser is being sold for as little as US$25 for a 50kg bag while a 20-litre coupon of diesel is being sold for around US$15. What we have done is we have sent on the ground undercover police details to investigate where ever we would have received reports of abuse. So far I can confirm that we are investigating cases in Mazowe, Bindura and Centenary.”
Mashonaland Central produces the bulk of Zimbabwe’s staple maize crop. In Mashonaland West, officials were last week compiling reports of alleged abuses at district level with a view to launching full-scale criminal investigations.
In other provinces, our Harare Bureau understands abusers of the programme have been arrested with some recently appearing in court in Manicaland.
The Government last year launched Command Agriculture under which qualifying farmers get inputs to ensure national food security. The programme is projected to reduce Government’s grain import bill that was around US$254 million last year. – State Media