Vusumuzi Dube
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE Government has put in place additional measures to climate-proof and enhance agricultural production, while also increasing productivity for the 2023/24 summer cropping season.
Cabinet on Tuesday considered the 2023 Summer Plan additional measures to climate-proof production to increase productivity as presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka.
The additional measures come after Cabinet approved the 2023/24 Summer Cropping Plan and State of Preparedness in May, which seeks to achieve national food, feed and edible oils self-sufficiency.
In a post-Cabinet briefing, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa said the national target hectarage for strategic crops was 3 040 000 hectares with an expected yield of 3 782 658 metric tonnes.
She said: “The nation is informed that Zimbabwe has adequate grains in stock for the next two seasons. However, the sensitivity analysis for the 2023/2024 season based on previous years analysis indicates reduced crop production. Accordingly, Cabinet has put in place robust measures encompassing irrigation and agricultural climate-proofing in order to maintain increased production.”
The Minister said in line with Government priorities in the agricultural sector, the National Enhanced Agriculture Productivity Scheme will be expanded, with more banks contracting increased hectarages.
She said the additional measures include enhanced climate-proofing through expanded moisture enhancer demonstrations and alignment of crops grown with agro-ecological regions.
Minister Mutsvangwa added: “There will be grain swaps whereby the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) will continue to promote traditional grains production in regions 4 and 5 an providing weather-indexed and Area/Yield insurance for smallholder farmers under the Pfumvudza Programme. The additional measures also include Vision 2030 Agricultural Livelihoods Tracker (VALT) which will track the upliftment of households and livelihoods through agricultural and rural development programmes.”
She said through financial support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) in the 2023/2024 season, Government will increase the percentage of traditional grains seed availability by ensuring that Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) and GMB package standard traditional grains as seed for the 2023/2024 season.
The Minister said in order to incentivise production of traditional grains, Government will announce planning prices and marketing modalities in August annually and empower farmers from 460 irrigation schemes by availing Presidential Inputs in time.
“In terms of Rural Development, the strategy is to accelerate borehole drilling and the establishment of Village Business Units and veld management. These measures support the current positive production trends,” she added.
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