Andrew
Online Reporter
GOVERNMENT has distributed improved goat and indigenous chicken breeds, as well as rehabilitating over 6 000 hectares of irrigable land for over 27 000 vulnerable households in four provinces.
The US$52 million programme, which is being funded by Government together with development partners, International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), is aiming for rehabilitation of 6 100 hectares of irrigable land and targets improving productivity and market access among 27 500 smallholder households through climate smart interventions.
The programme, which started in January 2021, and is expected to progress up to June 2022, has benefitted households in Manicaland, Midlands, Masvingo and Matabeleland South.
It is being implemented by Agritex through the Department of Mechanisation and Department of Livestock Production.
Department of Livestock Production director, Mr Alban Mhindurwa, told The Sunday Mail that the scheme of interventions was introduced to cushion households from Covid-19 effects.
The poultry and goat interventions were introduced for groups or community level projects.
“These target groups and they are known as high impact projects. This facility came as additional support to the Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Program (SIRP) program beneficiaries.
“The stimulus is aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of the Covid 19 pandemic among the most vulnerable of the 27 500 SIRP program beneficiaries,” he said.
In the first phase, the Rural Poor Stimulus Facility (RPSF) distributed crop and livestock input packs to 7 141 households in Masvingo, Midlands, Manicaland and Matabeleland South provinces.
Of the 7 141 households, 3 382 households received a total of 17 254 point of lay improved indigenous chickens and commercial layers (8 274 indigenous and 8 980 layers).
The 3 382 households received between five and 15 birds.
The remaining 3 759 households received crop input packs to enable them to plant in the winter of 2021 and the summer of 2021/2022 season.
Online Reporter