Chronicle Editor
GOVERNMENT has announced that it will provide farming inputs under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme to about three million farmers for the 2024/2025 cropping season as it works to enhance food security and even produce surplus for export.
Zimbabwe like the rest of the southern African countries is expected to receive normal to above normal rains this coming season hence the need to adequately prepare.
According to reports from farmers across the country, land preparation is in full swing and Government on its part has started delivering inputs to Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots across the country.
In some cases distribution of the inputs to farmers has already started and the target is to ensure the inputs are with the farmers before the onset of the rains.
Zimbabwean farmers have over the years proved that they have the capacity to produce not just enough for national consumption but even surplus for export during a good season.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director General Qu Dongyu who visited Zimbabwe last year, hailed the transformation of the country’s agricultural sector, which he said had positively impacted on the people’s livelihoods.
Mr Qu who attended a FAO Regional Water Conference held in Harare, said Zimbabwe had achieved a lot in its initiatives to transform the agriculture sector as it strives to regain its status as the region’s bread basket.
He said the country has, as a result of the measures it has taken to boost agricultural production, managed to have a bumper harvest of its staple food like maize and other grains.
Mr Qu said agriculture in Zimbabwe has the potential to transform rural areas into industrialised zones and earn farmers increased revenue. “Agriculture can be used to empower the youths and women to end poverty,” he said.
Government through the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, (Arda) is already working on a decentralised industrialisation programme that involves the establishment of rural industries that mainly process farmers’ produce.
This is expected to create thousands of jobs as a result of value addition and beneficiation, which will directly benefit farmers as they will earn more from their produce.
We therefore want to commend Government for its commitment to continue investing resources in the agricultural sector, which is key to rural industrialisation.
More than 300 000 families were allocated land under the Land Reform Programme and most of these families are fully utilising the land hence the bumper harvests.
The farmers have shamed doomsayers who have been criticising Zimbabwe’s Land Reform Programme. We want at this juncture to urge farmers to continue building on the momentum so that Zimbabwe can regain its status of being the region’s bread basket.
Online Reporter