Agritex happy with urban farmers’ preparedness for new season

Sharon Shayanewako

Urban and peri-urban farmers have done all their preparations and trainings under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme and are now eagerly waiting for the distribution of inputs to start so that they plant with the first effective rains.

The programme, which contributed 33 percent of outputs last year, is expected to anchor the upcoming summer cropping season through supporting three million households and 500 000 urban farmers.

Acting deputy director Training and Information in the department of Agritex, Mrs Nester Gumbo yesterday confirmed that urban and peri urban communities were as prepared for the summer cropping season as the communal, A1, and the old resettlement farmers.

“They earnestly prepared their Pfumvudza plots and are eagerly waiting for inputs,” she said.

Mrs Gumbo added that training was the hallmark of Pfumvudza and urban farmers had undergone training for them to have a full adoption of Pfumvudza principles.

“Urban and peri-urban farmers should have been trained on the tenets of Pfumvudza to be considered for inputs just like their counterparts in the communal, A1 and old resettlement categoriea. We have extension workers in urban as well as the peri-urban areas who give services to the farmers.

“These extension workers registered those farmers who are interested in partaking in Pfumvudza. The farmers then received training on basic principles of Pfumvudza such as holing out, mulching and the importance of timing among other issues,” she further explained.

She cited the example of farmers from Harare and Bulawayo metropolitan provinces who have since registered and received training.

“Farmers around these cities are getting registered with our extension officers and are also being trained,” said Mrs Gumbo.

The Pfumvudza/Intwasa is a conservation agriculture scheme adopted by the Government to boost yields for communal and smallholder farmers who do not have access to irrigation.

The scheme was adopted in light of erratic rains the country has been receiving over the past few years.

Pfumvudza promotes adoption of conservation farming techniques and involves the utilisation of small pieces of land and the application of correct agronomic practices to achieve high returns.

The Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme is being run under the Presidential Input Scheme.

Under this programme, farmers are given inputs, fertilisers, and chemicals accompanied by technical advisory services from Agritex extension officers.