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Wallace Ruzvidzo
Herald Reporter
OFFICIALS involved in the abuse of inputs under the Presidential Input Schemes will be blacklisted, with ward committees involved in the abuse being banned, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere has said.
Speaking after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Dr Muswere said these are the new measures along with implementation of an improved standard operating procedure with role clarity.
This, he said, shows that the Second Republic has zero tolerance towards abuse of inputs.
So far, under the input scheme, 91 percent of the targeted 9,5 million plots have been prepared by 86 percent of the targeted 3,5 million households. Beneficiaries are expected to have received 50 percent of their inputs by the end of the month.
“Cabinet received and noted the Update on the 2023/2024 Summer Crops Marketing, Food Security Outlook to March 2025, 2024 Winter Crops Production and the 2024/2025 Crops Summer Season Plan, as presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Honourable AJ Masuka.
“Government has adopted additional measures to curb the abuse of inputs. The measures include the blacklisting of any official involved in input abuse; banning ward committees involved in inputs abuse and implementing an improved standard operating procedure with role clarity.
“All beneficiaries will receive 50 percent of their inputs by November 24,” Dr Muswere said.
He reiterated plans to increase this summer cropping season’s production by at least 347 percent.
“The 2024-2025 summer season plan aims to increase production of cereals to 3 274 200 tonnes, against the 744 271 tonnes obtained during the 2023-2024 summer season.
“The overall production volumes of major crops are expected to increase by 347 percent from a mere 915 000 tonnes to over 4 million tonnes. The production target for cereals is 3,3 million tonnes, while that for pulses is 819 500 tonnes,” Dr Muswere said.
Pertaining to the ongoing food deficit mitigation programme, the Minister said Government had so far distributed 197 628 tonnes of grain to feed the vulnerable and food insecure households since February.
“Additionally, Government has also distributed 17 421 tonnes of mealie-meal to schools under the Emergency Schools Feeding Programme since the beginning of the Third Term, with a view to ensuring learners get a decent meal on each school day,” Dr Muswere said.
In terms of grain that has been delivered to the Grain Marketing Board, the Minister said the national reserve had received 20 148 tonnes of maize, soyabeans, sorghum and sunflower from the El Nino-ravaged 2023-2024 summer season.
“The private sector has imported 974 658 tonnes of maize, wheat and wheat flour since 1st April 2024, and the Government of Zimbabwe has also imported 39 916 tonnes of maize.
“The total Strategic Grain Reserve stock stands at 244 296 tonnes,” he said.
Dr Muswere said the country was on the cusp of yet another winter wheat production record.
“Regarding the 2024 winter wheat production, a record wheat crop has been harvested to date. As at 1 November 2024, about 106 238 hectares had been harvested, giving a total of 518 502 tonnes of wheat, surpassing the 465 546 tonnes achieved in 2023,” he said.
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