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INPUTS and other requirements have been assembled to produce a harvest of 3 274 200 tonnes of grains in the coming season.
The Government wants a surplus of at least 33 percent to rebuild reserves that have been run down this year.
The next season is likely to see reasonable rainfall, and so the Government is continuing the steady progress, mainly through productivity gains, seen in previous seasons and make up for the very poor cereal harvest of 744 271 tonnes last season as a result of the El Nino drought.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri said the continuous raising of targets was in response to the growing need for food security in the face of relentless climate change problems manifesting through droughts in most cases.
“Cereal production targets for the upcoming season are set at 2,7 million tonnes for maize and 574 200 tonnes of traditional grains, which exceeds the nation’s food and livestock feed requirements by 33 percent,” said Prof Jiri.
The planned area for cereal cultivation encompasses a total of 2,5 million hectares, distributed among several key crops: 1,8 million hectares dedicated to maize, 418 000 hectares for sorghum, 275 000 hectares for pearl millet and 27 000 hectares for finger millet.
“The 2024-2025 summer plan is underpinned by comprehensive strategies and measures designed to address drought mitigation and build resilience within the agricultural sector,” said Prof Jiri, highlighting that the Ministry were completely equipped with all the necessary resources and inputs and were only waiting for the rains to start falling.
The elevated probability of a La Niña climate weather pattern has since informed Government to come up with measures towards enhancing crop production and boosting productivity in the upcoming summer cropping season.
“Key programmes such as the Presidential Inputs Scheme Pfumvudza/Intwasa, the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme (NEAPS) and private sector contracting schemes have been established and are in place to support farmers during this crucial period,” said Prof Jiri.
The projected financial requirements for the summer plan are estimated at US$1,6 million with Government expected to provide 37 percent of this amount, while the private sector will come in with 60 percent through contract schemes and the self-financed farmers will account for the remaining three percent of the budget.
“Through these coordinated efforts to enhance per hectare yields, we aim to expand the country’s overall agricultural output in a resilient and smart way,” commented Prof Jiri underlining that the summer plan involved a multi-sectorial approach leveraging increased private sector participation.
In addition to cereals, the total production of major crops is expected to soar by 347 percent to 4 093 700 tonnes, eclipsing the highly depressed drought-hit harvest of 914 848 tonnes recorded last summer.
“This substantial growth in agricultural output is expected to enhance food security and meet the rising demand for staple crops towards drought mitigation and resilience building,” said Prof Jiri.
The Food Crop Contractors Association chairman, Mr Graeme Murdoch, commended Government’s efforts and readiness for the season saying preparedness played an important role in boosting agricultural productivity.
“Preparations for the upcoming summer season are moving forward positively with numerous stakeholders actively involved in establishing the foundation for successful production,” he said.
Online Reporter