Times Of Swaziland: NMC BEGINS CONTRACTING PRIVATE TRACTOR OWNERS

NMC BEGINS CONTRACTING PRIVATE TRACTOR OWNERS
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BY ASHMOND NZIMA on 14/09/2020 07:10:00


MBABANE - Another opportunity is being availed for private tractor owners in the
new season.
The National Maize Corporation (NMC) has made a call to private tractor owners
interested in providing tractor hire services to register with them.
NMC Marketing Manager Nokwanda Dlamini said this followed the opening of
payments input subsidy programme under the Ministry of Agriculture.
She implored all interested tractor owners to register at their Rural
Development Areas (RDAs). She said they should bring certified copies of the
tractor’s bluebook, owner and driver’s identity documents as well as the
latter’s licence.
organisation
It was recently reported that last season, the organisation contracted 93
private tractors, which was less than the 106 contracted in 2018/2019.
The tractors ploughed a total of 15 350 hours compared to 9 881 hours in the
previous season.  The private tractors managed to plough 33 per cent of the
total 46 251 hours worked during the season.
Dlamini said 27per cent of the total hours were ploughed by the private tractors
in the previous season. He further explained that each tractor ploughed an
average of 128 hours compared to 93 hours in 2018/2019.
During the planting season 2018/19, the country received good rains which had a
positive impact on crop production. As a result, 96 773 metric tonnes of maize
was harvested. This increase in production was also attributed to the food
security programme which provided subsidised farm inputs. Government supports
the input subsidy programme with a budget allocation of E40 million.