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Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
MORE than 90 000 farmers in the Midlands province have undergone training for Pfumvudza, a zero-tillage agricultural programme introduced by Government to optimize grain production ahead of the summer cropping season.
The programme which is still in its infancy has been quickly embraced in rural communities mostly in Gokwe South and Kwekwe.
The two districts have a combined 35000 farmers who underwent the training.
Government is advocating zero tillage seeding in areas that receive below average rains and semi-arid regions considering that it leaves plant residues on the ground, which can help keep the soil moist and protect against evaporation caused by sun and wind.
Some of the advantages of Pfumvudza are that it improves soil structure considering that tilling land usually disrupts natural structures of soils as well as dispersing carbon needed by soils into the air. This means more nutrients are preserved in the soil which also increases yield.
With zero tillage of Pfumvudza erosion can also be reduced since it leaves more residue on the surface in the months when there are no crops growing like the dry season or winter.
This keeps the soils moist as well as intact. It is another way that this method improves soils nutrients
Ideally, each time equipment drives over the surface, soil gets compacted.
This means the air and water pockets present in the soil are squeezed out by the weight of the machinery enabling the passage of water, crop roots and soil species.
Because no-till decreases the quantity of equipment used, the compaction hazard is lowered.
Addressing Zanu PF Midlands Provincial Coordinating Committee, Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Senator Larry Mavima said the province sought to double the number of trained farmers before the start of the impending summer cropping season.
“On Pfumvudza programme, the province is undertaking comprehensive agriculture training to ensure food security at household level. A total of 92 954 farmers have been registered and trained to date. There was a high turnout in Gokwe South and Kwekwe who have 19251 and 15 080 farmers trained respectively,” he said.
Sen Mavima said Pfumvudza will help mitigate drought in the province which has food deficit of 34 099 metric tonnes.
He said there were more than 176 000 households in the province that were in in need of food aid.
“There is shortage of maize grain in all the districts in the province. Grain shortage is exacerbated by inadequacy as demand is higher than supplies which was also worsened by termination of the World Food Programme (WFP). Most districts did no receive anything this month. The province has a maize rain deficit of 34 099 tonnes,” he said.
Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube attributed the food distribution interruptions to foreign currency shortages.
Sidumisile Mabena