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Ashton Mutyavaviri
GOVERNMENT has deployed 60 experts to assess the rainfall situation, distribution and cumulative figures in the wake of the current rains that enabled farmers to do late planting following the prolonged dry spell.
In a statement, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development said the team of 60 directors with different expertise would be deployed to all provinces where they would team up with district teams for a massive assessment and inspection of the activities on the ground to complement districts’ efforts. They will also assess in Pfumvudza inputs have been fully utilised.
“The experts will also verify whether Pfumvudza prepared for specific crops had been planted to those crops, assess area planted under various programmes, for example, ARDA-managed irrigation schemes, ARDA-JV model for the strategic grain reserve (SGR), verify the practice of good agronomic practices and ensure all farmer-field schools are functional,” read the statement.
The statement further indicated that the exercise was meant to ensure food security and zero hunger at both household and national levels.
Government’s decision comes in the wake of recent reports that some farmers and unscrupulous individuals had been abusing inputs under various schemes hence the need to plug all loopholes in the distribution process and make close monitoring of the inputs’ usage.
The development also saw Cottco being relieved of the mandate to distribute cotton inputs with the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) being drafted in to do the inputs disbursement.
The Government also wants to ensure appropriate crops were grown in the different natural regions with natural region 1 and 2 targeted for maize and all dry regions reserved for traditional grains to ensure food security nationwide.
The areas planted under various programmes, for example, ARDA-managed irrigation schemes, ARDA-JV model for the SGR will be also assessed by the team.
Meanwhile, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Professor Jiri recently called on farmers to adopt productive measures that increase output as the nation gears for self-sufficiency in food security.
Prof Jiri said good agronomic practices helped with good crop and livestock care, particularly for the preservation of moisture and nutrients for crops, as well as disrupting pest and disease cycles.
Good agronomic practices do not only help in increasing yields but also improve quality of produce to enable farmers to access high value markets.
Farmer field schools are an initiative designed to ensure farmers get knowledge for maximum production.
They are usually designed to be farmer-centred, participatory and experiential, allowing farmers to learn from their own experiences and experiment with new techniques in their own fields.
The main objective of a farmer field school was to improve farmers’ understanding of ecological principles and sustainable farming practices.
Online Reporter