Chronicle Editor
Eliah Saushoma, Chronicle Reporter
VILLAGERS in Gokwe South hold bragging rights in the Midlands province as the district leads in Intwasa/Pfumvudza harvest tonnage.
About 98 percent of villagers in the district took part in the Government’s climate proof agricultural scheme.
An ecstatic Headman Abel Mangisi under Chief Njelele who is expecting to get two and half tonnes of grain praised the programme.
He told the Chronicle in Gokwe on Friday that he has produced surplus food that he will sell to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) to pay fees for his children and cover other household expenses.
“I really worked hard on this programme, we received good rainfall and we harvested better than last season. I will definitely take a share of my harvest to GMB to enable me to pay fees for my children,” said Headman Mangisi.
He said farming is now a business and if more people take up programmes like Intwasa/Pfumvudza hunger will be eradicated in Zimbabwe.
Mrs Sikhonzile Helegwa said adopting the programme and following district agricultural officials’ guidelines had assisted her to produce surplus food for the first time in years.
“We took up the Pfumvudza programme at its inception. I am expecting two tones from the 10kg bag of maize seed that I received from the Government.
“What assisted us was following the instructions we got from Agritex officers. I noticed that the holes we dug kept the water and further reduced the risk of getting the fertilizer washed away,” said Mrs Helegwa.
Speaking on the sideline of the national culture week celebrations held at his homestead on Friday, Chief Njelele said the Provincial Development Coordinator informed him that farmers in Gokwe South district had excelled in production under the Government scheme.
“It is our duty to encourage people to work with Agritex officers who show them what has to be done especially in programmes such as Pfumvudza. In this district, 98 percent of people took up the Intwasa/Pfumvudza Programme although there were certain areas where crops were washed away by incessant rains. I would like to thank Government for the introduction of the programme. This programme will indeed assist us in eradicating hunger. I am expecting to get at least three tonnes from my small piece of land,” said Chief Njelele.
Government adopted Intwasa/Pfumvudza to address the problem of low production due to poor rains.
The concept promotes climate proofing agriculture by adopting conservation farming techniques and it involves the utilisation of small pieces of land and application of the correct agronomic practices for higher returns.
The country expects to harvest more than 3, 1 million tonnes of maize against its national annual requirement of 1,8 million tonnes.
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