Farmers urged to take up seed production

Speaking at a sugar bean seed multiplication field day at Nyahoni Irrigation Scheme, in Chikomba, Agritex principal director, Mr Joseph Gondo said seed production will ensure farmers have a seed bank which will benefit their communities.
“Every season, many farmers fail to access small grain seed on the market as it is scarce. Farmers can take advantage of that gap by producing seed.
“Seed production is much more profitable than commercial crop production and more convenient for farmers with irrigation facilities,” he said.
He said producing crops under irrigation required adequate funding to buy and maintain equipment and this can only be possible if farmers realise high profits which can be achieved through seed production.
Director of community development in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Mr Christopher Chingosho, said the seed multiplication programme which is being spearheaded by his ministry has benefited many farmers at different irrigation schemes countrywide.
“So far the programme has benefited 1 070 households with 80 percent of them being women.
“The objectives of the seed multiplication project are to uplift the welfare of the small scale farmers, in particular women who remain the backbone of the family.”
The programme is also aimed at increasing food production and reduce the cost of food.
Mr Chingosho said the project, which is currently being implemented at irrigation schemes, will expand to other communal farmers without irrigation facilities. The seed multiplication programme is product of decisions of the fourth meeting of Ministers of Gender and Women Affairs held in Victoria Falls last year.
The ministry got funds from COMESA which were used to purchase sugar beans and groundnuts seed, fertilisers and chemicals. Nyahoni is one of the irrigation schemes that benefited from the COMESA funds.
The scheme has 52 plot holders who ventured into seed multiplication programmes.
Other irrigation schemes under the same programme are Mamina irrigation scheme in Kadoma, Mutema Irrigation scheme in Chipinge and Chibuwe scheme in Manicaland province among others.
Nyahoni irrigation scheme’s chairperson, Mrs Martha Munhenga said the scheme has been benefiting many farmers in Chikomba.
“We produce many crops throughout the year. Other farmers in the area also rely on the scheme for food and we employ several people, throughout the year,” she said.
She said the programme had opened up markets for the new farmers as the seed supplier Reapers Private Limited is willing to buy the produce.
However, the growers are free to sell their produce to any willing buyer offering the best price. At the field day, excelling farmers were rewarded with farming inputs and equipment. Mrs Philda Manamike who had the best bean crop walked away with a wheelbarrow and two 50kg bags of ammonium nitrate fertiliser.