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Precious Manomano Herald Reporter
Over 11,3 million plots have now been prepared for the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme this year as more farmers join in and existing farmers increase the number of their plots.
This means Zimbabwe is facing another record harvest as farmers have exceeded a target of 9,5 million plots of Pfumvudza that was set by the Government to ensure that farmers could grow at least twice as much food as their own families would need.
Pfumvudza has already largely secured food security for families, with the stress in the expansion now on rural development, with small-scale farmers increasing production further so that they can sell surpluses, go commercial and make money.
Statistics from Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) indicate that of the 11 350 000 plots so far prepared Midlands has over 1,3 million plots, Masvingo over 1,2 million plots, Manicaland over 1,4 million, Mashonaland West over 2,1 million, Mashonaland East over 1,6 million, Matabeleland North over 800 000 and Mashonaland Central over 1,4 million.
While maize remains the largest single Pfumvudza crop, the growth in area devoted to other crops has seen it limited to less than 40 percent of the total area planted as production of other crops continues to increase dramatically, with traditional grains sorghum at 25 percent and pearl millet at around 12 percent, sunflower now dominating as the main oilseed crop with 10 percent of the planted area, cotton on 18 percent and soya at low levels.
In a recent interview, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Professor Obert Jiri recently encourages farmers to embrace Pfumvudza/Intwasa techniques to enhance resilience to climatic shocks and also urging rural farmers to speed up digging of Pfumvudza holes to ensure that they take up three plots and above.
“We are targeting 500 000 beneficiaries in towns and 3 million in rural areas. So we are saying those three million in rural areas should be given inputs after completing three plots so that the nation becomes food self-sufficiency. We want farmers to increase on Pfumvudza planting holes,’’ he said. In line with the Government’s policy of climate proofing agriculture Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president Dr Shadreck Makombe urged farmers to adopt conservation farming techniques that optimise land use and improve resilience to climate change.
He urged farmers to adequately prepare for the next season adding that farmers should stagger planting in case of any eventualities.
“Farmers should not plant their crops at the same time,Pfumvudza is essential to ensure food security and boost household incomes by selling the surplus. Pfumvudza is the only way to go in terms of ensuring food security and sustainability,’’ he said.
Recently, farmers in Mashonaland West in Zvimba under Nyaude area were optimistic that this season will be great following farmer’s commitments of adhering to Pfumvudza in the El Nino period.
Nyaude Headman Mr Herbert Nyaude of ward 7 said Pfumvudza programme has proved to be effective in the previous years adding that majority of people who are implementing the concept in his area are harvesting good results.
“I lead by example so far I have completed three plots. We are grateful for Government’s support because this concept has helped us to improve our productivity. We lost our cattle due to tick borne diseases so this concept is indeed a critical component which helped us to boost yields,” he said.
Mrs Pamhidzai Muyutu of the same area said extension workers have played a pivotal role in ensuring that people do not resist the concept.
“For the past two years the concept has proved to be fruitful. Yes at first it was difficult to accept but after seeing wonderful results from others, I have adopted the concept. So far I have completed three plots. I recommend other people to implement this concept,” she said.
Mrs Maria Tembo said she started to implement the programme in 2021 and able to produce food to feed her family and also she sold the surplus adding that extension workers still need to push farmers so that everyone adopts the method to ensure food security.
“Resistance is still there to those who do not know the programme, but I can assure farmers that we are doing very well in productivity levels,” she said.
On January 25 this 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 Pfumvudza concept.
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