High hopes as crop assessment begins

Precious Manomano

Herald Reporter

There are high expectations that the 2022-2023 summer cropping season will be one of the most productive on record, as the Government prepares to undertake a national crop, livestock and fisheries assessment.

The exercise begins today and is expected to take 10 days.

Crops are in good shape following the recent rains bringing renewed hope of decent harvests. Meteorological department has predicted more rains this season and the outlook is generally positive for the production of all crops in all provinces.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president Dr Shadreck Makombe said the Government assessment was needed to ensure food security.

“Evaluation and monitoring of crops and livestock is a critical component towards achieving food security. This will help policy makers to come up with recommendations which will have an impact in the agricultural sector. This is a positive move. We are guaranteed of food security in the sector,” he said.

Zimbabwe Indigenous Women Farmers Association Trust president Mrs Depinah Nkomo said the progress was well appreciated and urged farmers to cooperate well with extension workers who will be on the ground collecting data.

She said the progress shown so far by farmers signifies that a bumper harvest is upon the country.

“We appreciate this move. Government is doing well to gather information that is critical in improving national food security. Lets cooperate well with extension workers so that good policies are made to support the sector,” she said. Recently,Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Dr John Basera said results of the assessment will provide an early warning to decision makers on the possible outcome of the present cropping season.

“The assessment aims to verify areas planted to different crops, crop stages and conditions during the season. It also assesses and verify the availability, accessibility and use of major crop and livestock inputs by farmers,” he said.

According to the latest weekly update from the Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services (AARDS), farmers have so far planted 1,5 million hectares of maize compared to 1,2million hectares planted last year.

Statistics also show that 47 203ha were so far put under soyabeans compared to 37 990ha last year, while 258 297ha were put under sorghum compared to 216741ha last year. About 148833ha of pearl millet was so far planted compared to 122 494ha last year, 20 627ha was put under sunflower compared to 4 271ha, as that crop sees the most dramatic production growth, and 198 630ha of cotton was put compared to 177 275ha planted last year.

Farmers have been advised by experts to wind-up planting long and medium maize varieties but now consider crops like sugar beans and sorghum. The Second Republic has made food and nutrition security a top priority, along with ensuring that adequate or surplus production leads to higher standards of living for farmers as they sell their surpluses.

Agricultural sector has already hit the initial 2025 target of US$8,2bn set in 2021. This was projected to have been achieved over five years but was attained in one year.

Government programmes such as Pfumvudza/Intwasa, the National Enhanced Agriculture Productivity Scheme (NEAPS) and interventions by the private sector and the Agriculture and Rural Development Authority (ARDA), are set to enhance production of all crops this season, ensuring greater food production, greater production of oil seed, more tobacco. This ensures food self-sufficiency, far more local raw materials in other products, and greater exports, along with more income for farmers and growing rural wealth.