Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
MORE than 19 000 farmers in Matabeleland North and South have received inputs under the Climate Proofed Presidential Inputs Scheme, popularly known as Pfumvudza/Intwasa, for the coming cropping season.
Nationwide, more than 1,9 million farmers have holed out and qualified for the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme with more 224 089 having prepared their planting holes for all five plots. In an interview, Matabeleland North provincial agronomist, Ms Zenzele Ndlovu said more than 17 000 famers have benefited from the input scheme.
“In Matabeleland North over 17 000 farmers have benefited from the Pfumvudza/Intwasa input scheme, with 52 000 households that have at least a plot. 3 209 households have gathered much and about 225 households have limed,” said Ms Ndlovu.
She said Agritex officers were still sensitizing farmers to prepare for the cropping season, as everything was on course with distribution of inputs by Grain Marketing Board (GMB) gaining momentum.
Matabeleland South provincial agronomist Mr Innocent Nyathi said the distribution of inputs in the province was on course.
“Over 2 091 farmers have received inputs under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, with over 6 534 farmers registered on the online application (app) for inputs.
“The number of households that have limed are 5 096 and 9 023 households have gathered mulch,” said Mr Nyathi.
He said they wanted all farmers to have collected their inputs before the rains as some roads may become impassable when the rains intensify.
Mr Nyathi said once sustained rains are falling farmers will be advised by their extension officers when to start planting.
With Pfumvudza/Intwasa for the cropping season having intensified, Government has set aside $152 million for the transportation of inputs from GMB depots to wards where farmers can easily access them.
Large-scale farmers under the CBZ Agroyield programme have also started collecting their inputs from their GMB depot.
Meanwhile, Matabeleland provinces have also intensified wheat harvesting with deliveries to GMB on the rise.
Ms Ndlovu said for Matabeleland North they planted 587 hectares (ha) under Command Agriculture Scheme, 287,6 ha under the Presidential Winter Wheat Scheme and 141,5ha planted by self-financing farmers.
“So far under the Command Agriculture Scheme, 541,5ha has been harvested with deliveries of 2 269,4 tonnes made to GMB. For the Presidential Winter Wheat Scheme 69 ha has been harvested and 98,34 tonnes delivered, while self-financing farmers have harvested 132,5ha and delivered 619,68 tons to GMB.”
She said the harvesting was still ongoing and they were expecting more to be delivered to GMB.
Mr Nyathi said in Matabeleland South the total area planted was 1 455.9ha, area harvested being 782,3ha with production of 3 774,18 tonnes.
He added: “The private sponsored wheat in Insiza planted 37,4ha and they are expecting 3,5 tonnes per ha which translates to production of 130,9 tonnes.
‘The Presidential Winter Wheat Report showed that total planted area was 286,5ha, so far area harvested is 145,3ha contribution production of 913,92 tonnes.”
Mr Nyathi said under the Command Winter Wheat seven farmers were contracted and they planted 1 167,9ha, they harvested 801ha with production of 3 774.18 tonnes.
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