Online Reporter
Theseus Shambare in INSIZA
ANTICIPATION is high in Insiza District, Matabeleland South, where hundreds of people have begun to converge at the Dube homestead in Khombo Village under Chief Jahana — the venue for this year’s National Pfumvudza/Intwasa Launch, set for today.
The event, to be presided over by the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka, marks the official commencement of the 2025/26 summer cropping season and the input distribution phase under the Government’s flagship climate-proofed agricultural programme.
The Pfumvudza/Intwasa model – centred on conservation farming, efficient water use and improved soil management – continues to be a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s agricultural transformation and food security strategy amid the growing threat of climate change.
Hosting this year’s national event is the Dube family — Mr Patrick Dube (71) and his wife Mrs Lita Ngwenya-Dube (59) — whose commitment to adopting climate-smart farming practices has turned their homestead into a shining example of resilience and innovation in communal agriculture.
According to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, the 2025/26 Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme will target 3,5 million households nationwide under the Presidential Inputs Scheme.
Each household will receive inputs tailored to its agro-ecological region to ensure maximum productivity and climate adaptation.
Farmers in Regions 1 and 2, which receive higher rainfall, will receive 10kg maize seed packs, while those in Region 3 will get 5kg packs.
In the drier Regions 4 and 5, households will receive 2kg of drought-tolerant small grains such as sorghum, pearl millet, and finger millet.
Each beneficiary will also receive a 50kg bag of basal fertiliser, top-dressing fertiliser and lime to enhance soil health and productivity.
The input distribution model aims to ensure that every farmer across Zimbabwe plants appropriate crop varieties that match local climatic conditions, thereby promoting climate resilience and food self-sufficiency.
Today’s launch is expected to draw senior Government officials, traditional leaders, development partners, and farmers’ unions from across the country.
The gathering will set the tone for the new agricultural season and reaffirm the Second Republic’s commitment to transforming agriculture through climate-smart and sustainable farming practices.
