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Conrad Mupesa-Mashonaland West Bureau
THE Government has amplified its fight against the changing climatic patterns currently affecting agricultural activities, with farmers being encouraged to embrace various irrigation development schemes on offer.
The agriculture sector, which anchors the country’s economy, is threatened by erratic rainfall patterns as witnessed by poor crop quality this season.
Addressing farmers at a field day at Pumula Farm in Hurungwe district on Tuesday, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary, Dr John Basera said the Government has moved a gear up in addressing negative climate change patterns by introducing various irrigation development schemes to climate-proof their activities.
Said Dr Basera: “Going forward because of climate change, we need farmers to invest in irrigation development. This is the message we are moving around with our Minister (Dr Anxious Masuka) and encouraging our farmers. We need to move in with irrigation development so that we climate-proof our agriculture sector.
“We have a number of programmes including the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC), Pedstock Scheme and the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe (CBZ)’s National Enhanced Agriculture Productivity Scheme (NEAPS) irrigation development side. We want our farmers to apply for the irrigation equipment to climate proof their activities.”
Dr Basera said the Government’s move to climate-proof the agriculture sector was in-line with its mandate of making Zimbabwe food secure ahead of Vision 2030’s agenda of making the nation an upper middle-income economy.
He added that while other schemes to mechanise the sector were being rolled-out by the Second Republic to increase yields, the nation had become food secure through the Pfumvudza/Intwasa scheme, another climate-proof mechanism.
“We have recorded high yields as a result of the Pfumvudza/Intwasa climate proof agriculture which has contributed over 41 percent of the country’s total maize output. Out of the 2,7 million metric tonnes that we had last season, Pfumvudza contributed over one million tonnes.
“We have also noticed that although the rains haven’t been generous with us this season, Pfumvudza is the game changer. Crops of small holder farmers that have embraced Pfumvudza scheme are in good shape,” he said.
The contribution of Pfumvudza, had seen Zimbabwe’s maize production rise by 250 percent.
The Government targets to support three million farmers under Pfumvudza this coming season from 2,3 million.
Turning to wheat production, Dr Basera rallied farmers with irrigation equipment to do wheat as the nation sought to be flour- sufficient to cut the import bill.
Minister of State for Mashonaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka called on communities in the province to embrace Pfumvudza which she said was for the nation’s development.
“Hurungwe is blessed with good rains and soils but farmers should embrace the Presidential Input Scheme (Pfumvudza) for maximum food production.”
Mr Arnold Chaeruka has invested in Pumula Farm through a Joint-Venture with farm owner one Mr Masanga, putting 400 hectares under maize wholly funded by the CBZ Agro-Yield Scheme.
This year’s production is ten times higher from 42 hectares done last year and they are eyeing at least eight tonnes per hectare as erratic rains and fall armyworm threatened the crop at one stage.
Seed-Co’s head of agronomy services, Ms Wendy Madzura, provided field-tour lectures and technical information.
Online Reporter