Agric sector-Zimbabwe - The Zimbabwe Farmers Union has said the agricultural sector will grow by 11,6 percent in 2012 courtesy of an anticipated output surge in tobacco, maize, cotton and soya bean. ZFU executive director Mr Paul Zakariya said recently that the sector was likely to continue on the positive from the 2011 season during which crops such as maize and tobacco played a pivotal role in its success story.

"Agriculture has emerged as one of the country's leading economic performers in the 2010/2011 cropping through an increased output for crops such as maize and tobacco," he said.

"Tobacco raked in US$375 million from 133 million kg this year up from 123,4 million kg in 2010, while maize yields increased from 1 000 328 tonnes to 1 000 451 tonnes - something that boosted efforts to resuscitate the national strategic grain reserves."

Mr Zakariya said that farmers emerged more organised from the 2010/2011 season as they strove to overcome numerous challenges that had been hampering their efforts to increase crop production.

He challenged the Government to increase funding for the sector.

The Herald/03/01/2012