dyton mupawaenda
Edgar Vhera-Agriculture Specialist Writer
THE Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has taken over distribution of cotton inputs under the Presidential Inputs Scheme as part of Government efforts to tighten the process and improve accountability.
In yesterday’s press release, the GMB said it was working closely with Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services (ARDAS), Cottco, Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA), police and traditional leadership in distributing inputs for cotton under the inputs scheme.
GMB chief executive Dr Edson Badarai said for accountability purposes the list used for distribution was submitted to GMB by ARDAS and Cottco.
“The list contains names of farmers who delivered and those doing seed multiplication and demonstration plots, who are receiving more than the prescribed 0, 5 hectares under Pfumvudza/Intwasa. Inputs distribution is being carried out at the usual common cotton inputs distribution points,” he said.
Dr Badarai said GMB was providing transport for the distribution of inputs free of charge.
Each farmer was receiving inputs for 0, 5 hectares and the approved package has 10 kilogrammes of seed, one bag of basal fertiliser, 25 kilogrammes of top-dressing fertiliser, one kilogramme of conventional, one kilogramme of pyrethroids and 100 grammes of aphicides.
“Farmers upon receiving inputs are expected to sign a contract with the Government which binds them to deliver their seed cotton to Cottco. The GMB and Cottco would like to assure farmers of systematic and flawless distribution of inputs under the Presidential Inputs Programme,” added the statement.
There have been complaints from some farmers that the cotton input distribution process was slow.
Areas such as in Mount Darwin, Mukumbura, Chireya and Chitekete in Gokwe, Chinyamukwakwa and Mabeye in Muzarabani and Chiredzi, are inaccessible once the rainfall season finally sets in.
Recently farmers in Ward 22 of Gokwe South were made to pay transport costs for maize inputs distributed under the Pfumvudza programme with their councillor and the inputs distribution committee allegedly demanding payments purportedly to meet transport costs of moving inputs from the GMB depot to the collection points.
Meanwhile in its input distribution update dated November 30, AMA revealed that Cottco had disbursed seed, basal fertiliser and lime to 30 142 growers with potential to cover 44 120 hectares, a mere 32 percent mark of its targeted hectarage of 140 000.
Online Reporter