Chronicle Editor
Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
THE number of farmers who have subscribed to the Government funded Presidential Inputs Scheme, popularly known as Intwasa/Pfumvudza, has increased to 2,4 million for the 2021/2022 farming season compared to the previous season when 1,5 million households participated in the programme countrywide.
In Bulawayo, a total of 20 000 urban farmers have already receive agricultural inputs for the 2021/2022 farming season under the Intwasa/Pfumvudza programme.
Intwasa is a concept aimed at climate proofing agriculture by adopting conservation farming techniques and involves use of small plots and applying the correct agronomic practices for higher returns.
The Intwasa/Pfumvudza programme, designed for small-scale farmers is benefitting households in the communal, A1, small-scale commercial farming and old resettlement sectors to produce cereals, oilseeds and legumes in the forthcoming summer cropping season.
Under the programme, each farming household will get an input package comprising 10kg maize seed, 5kg sorghum, 2kg pearl millet, 5kg soyabean, 2kg sunflower/castor bean (castor bean will be intercropped in the Intwasa crops) and 5kg sugar beans or 5kg cowpeas or roundnuts.
Some farmers will get 5kg of summer wheat, long season variety, 2x50kg of Compound D fertiliser, 1x50kg top dressing fertiliser, and chemicals for fall armyworm or stalk borer.
The seed types and varieties will depend on the farming region. Riding on the success of the Government funded scheme during the 2020/21 agriculture season, the programme has this year attracted interest from many farmers in Bulawayo, mostly youths who did not participate last season.
In her post Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the distribution for the Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs is in full swing across the country.
The inputs distribution under the National Enhanced Agriculture Productivity Scheme commonly known as Command Agriculture is also being accelerated.
“The climate-proofed Presidential Inputs Pfumvudza/Intwasa Scheme has under the 2021/22 been overwhelming, with 2,484 million households already rolling out the programme, compared to the 1,5 million which were rolled out at the same time last year,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“Inputs distribution for the Climate-Proofed Presidential Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs Scheme is in full swing across the country.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said following submissions from the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr Anxious Masuka, Cabinet took the strategic decision to include sunflower and cotton as part of the country’s oil seeds basket, in order to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.
The minister said as a result, the targeted hectarage for sunflower and cotton has been reviewed upwards.
Minister Mutsvangwa said a total of 114 721 tobacco growers have registered for the 2021/2022 season, compared to 124 943 growers who had registered during the same period last season.
“To date, the total area planted is 31 percent above that planted last season. There are 345 new growers,” she said – @mashnets
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