dyton mupawaenda
Precious Manomano-Herald Reporter
FARMERS have doubled their Pfumvudza plots from 5,5 million last farming season to 11,3 million this season, a move which will guarantee national food security, as the climate-proofed project has now become the new normal in smallholder farming.
The expansion has seen the area under Pfumvudza double from 345 736 hectares to 655 623ha.
The Government had this season set a target of 9,5 million plots to ensure that Zimbabwe becomes food secure in the wake of the El Nino phenomenon.
Pfumvudza was introduced by the Second Republic to address problems of low productivity and to ensure that smallholder farmers can grow enough food for their households and have surplus.
The Government also provides inputs for some cash crops, such as sunflower, for sale.
Statistics from Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services indicate that of the 11 370 108 million plots that have been established, Mashonaland West is leading with 1 925 844 plots followed by Mashonaland East with 1 765 827, Mashonaland Central with 1 646 534, Manicaland with 1 623 639, Midlands with 1 432 128, Masvingo with 1 361 072, Matabeleland North with 808 700, Harare with 55 887 and Bulawayo with 7 600.
Maize is still dominant with 7 243 367 plots equivalent to 443 626ha.
Sorghum and pearl millet, suitable for more arid areas, now account for 2 727 148 plots equivalent to 170 176ha. Groundnuts and soyabeans have been established on 727 905 plots equivalent to 45 436ha, cowpeas and sugarbeans have been established on 345 374 plots equivalent to 21 555ha, while sunflower is established on 319 458 plots equivalent to 19 935ha.
In an interview, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri said Pfumvudza/Intwasa techniques will enhance resilience to climatic shocks leading to food security.
“We have huge uptake of the programme and farmers have really adopted the concept. We have seen a big jump from over five million plots last year to over 11 million which have been dug by the farmers and we have seen farmers really listening to the climate proofing agenda. We are targeting 500 000 beneficiaries in towns and 3 million in rural areas. About 400 000ha of Pfumvudza will lead to food security,” he said.
Tobacco Farmers’ Union Trust president, Mr Victor Mariranyika, urged farmers to diversify and take up Pfumvudza training in large numbers to ensure food security and boost household incomes through selling the surplus.
“I recommend farmers to take up this training. Pfumvudza is the only way to go in terms of ensuring food security and sustainability. The increase in farmers’ participation is a great sign which symbolises that the nation will be self-sufficient in terms of food crops,” he said.
Farmers have to go for training before they can sign into the programme.
In line with the Government’s policy of climate proofing agriculture, Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president Dr Shadreck Makombe urged farmers to adopt conservation farming techniques that optimise land use and improve resilience to climate change.
“Pfumvudza is essential to ensure food security and boosts household incomes by selling the surplus. Pfumvudza is the only way to go in terms of ensuring food security and sustainability,” he said.
On January 25 last year in Dakar, Senegal, President Mnangagwa boldly declared that the country had since turned the corner in its agricultural revolution strides with the Second Republic having attained food self-sufficiency through the Pfumvudza concept.
Online Reporter