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Preparations for the 2022-2023 summer farming season are in full swing nationwide. Farmers have prepared their land and mobilised various inputs such as seed, fertiliser, chemicals and fuel.
Effective rains have fallen in some parts of the country, encouraging some farmers to plant early.
Industry and Commerce Minister, Dr Sekai Nzenza told the media in Harare on Tuesday that distribution of inputs under the Climate Proofed Presidential Input Scheme popularly known as Intwasa/Pfumvudza should be complete by the end of this month.
She said 4,6 million plots have been prepared so far, a remarkable increase from last season’s figure of 2,3 million. About 2,7 million farmers have been trained, compared to two million last season.
The aim of the programme is to achieve food, stock feed and oilseed self-sufficiency from 3,9 million hectares expected to yield a total of 4,9 million tonnes.
She said the sources of funds for the production of the major crops are the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme (NEAPS), Agricultural Rural Development Authority (Arda), the private sector and self-financing.
NEAPS comprising CBZ Agro Yield and AFC Holdings, makes up about 23 percent of the financing.
The AFC Scheme is targeting 357 000 tonnes of maize, soya beans, sunflower and traditional grains from 65 000 hectares.
“The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) is receiving and distributing Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs to farmers, and is targeting to have completed distribution by 30 November, 2022.
To date, 54 percent of the maize seed has been received by GMB depots of which 68 percent has been distributed to beneficiaries, while 47 percent of the received traditional grains have been distributed,” she said.
In terms of fertiliser Dr Nzenza said 79 percent of the basal and top-dressing fertilizers received have been distributed.
About 13 900ha have already been planted under for maize while 29 805ha are under tobacco.
We are happy that the systems are all falling into place ahead of a season that meteorologists have forecast will be marked by normal to above normal rainfall.
Adequate preparations that are made on time are everything in agriculture, especially for the summer crop which is generally rain-dependent.
If a farmer misses a day of planting, moisture will not wait for them so a crop planted a day later may not germinate in the same way one planted a day earlier would.
Similarly, fertiliser or chemicals applied today may not work in the same way fertiliser or chemicals applied tomorrow. Time and enough preparations are, as noted earlier, of the essence in agriculture.
We are confident that the pledge by the Government, as articulated by Dr Nzenza on Tuesday, to have distributed all Intwasa/Pfumvudza inputs by the end of this month would be achieved. There will still be time and other conditions such as moisture, we hope, for farmers to use the inputs on time.
It is our hope too that with all preparations in order, and on time, the rains will fall as projected – normal to above normal – so the country realises a bumper harvest after a poor 2021-2022 season.
We commend the Government for going all out to enroll more farmers on the Intwasa/Pfumvudza scheme – 2,7 million farmers who have already prepared 4,6million plots.
Noting that Intwasa/Pfumvudza is not the only scheme in local agriculture as some farmers are self-funding or working with support from banks such as CBZ and AFC, 2023 must be successful if, as we pray, rains fall as projected.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu