Vusumuzi Dube
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
GOVERNMENT has estimated a 58 percent increase in maize production this year following the completion of the second round of Crop, Livestock and Fisheries assessment.
Speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing on Wednesday, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said that despite the uneven start and distribution of rains during the 2022/23 summer season, the assessment showed that they were prospects for high yields.
“The estimated maize production is 2 298 281 metric tonnes (MT), a 58 percent increase on the 2021/2022 season; traditional grains production is estimated at 280 966 MT, a 45 percent increase on the 2021/2022 figure; sorghum production is expected to be 191 125 MT, which is 32 percent more than production in the 2021/22 season; pearl millet production is expected to be 171 221 MT, which is 61 percent more than what was produced in 2021/2022 season; and finger millet production is expected to be 18 610 MT, which is 250 percent more than what was produced in the 2021/2022 season,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She said the total cereal production is 2 579 247 MT, against a national cereal requirement of 1 837 742 MT for human consumption and 450 000 MT for livestock, leaving a surplus.
“In the horticulture sub-sector, there is an overall increase in production of horticultural crops for the 2022/23 season with growth registered in the production of the following crops blueberries, tea, Irish potato, onions, tomatoes, oranges, apples, macadamia nuts and bananas among others.
“In the livestock production and development sector, Cabinet is informing the nation that in 2022, the national beef herd increased from 5 509 933 cattle in 2021 to 5 642 400 cattle, reflecting a 2 percent increase,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She said the total milk production increased by 15 percent, from 79 607 573 litres in 2021 to 91 396 061 litres in 2022, while broiler meat production increased by 32 percent in 2022, from 143 500 tonnes to 191 813 tonnes. Commercial pig slaughters at abattoirs increased by 12 percent in 2022, from 196 152 pigs in 2021 to 219 307 pigs in 2022. Total fish production reached 15 041 MT.
She said the production levels were attained using a programmatic approach as the Ministry broadened and deepened efforts to transform agriculture at both scale and pace. The most insightful and impactful programmes were packaged under the Rural Development 8.0.
“The interventions which are expected to catalyse the attainment of Vision 2030 includes the following: The Presidential Climate-Proofed Inputs Scheme; the Presidential Climate-Proofed Cotton Scheme; the Presidential Rural Development Programme; the Presidential Blitz Tick Grease Scheme; the Presidential Community Fisheries Scheme; the Presidential Poultry Scheme; the Presidential Goat Scheme and the Vision 2030 Accelerator Model,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
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