Over 3m households benefiting from Govt’s expanded agric programmes

Nokuthula Dube

THE Government’s agricultural support programmes are now reaching more than three million smallholder farmers, as the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development intensifies efforts to strengthen food security through conservation agriculture.

Smallholder farmers — who account for up to 70 percent of the country’s food production — have been the central focus of Government support over the past five years under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, which has since transformed from a drought-relief input scheme into “a way of farming”.

During a recent briefing, Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) chief director, Mrs Medlinah Magwenzi, said the programme was empowering households and reducing dependency on free inputs.

“Smallholder farmers remain the backbone of Zimbabwe’s food security, contributing up to 70 percent of the country’s agricultural output,” she said.

“Farmers who started five years back are now able to buy their own inputs and fence their fields so that they do Pfumvudza on time.”

Mrs Magwenzi noted that many households were now acquiring assets from proceeds of increased productivity, with dependency on handouts becoming “a long-forgotten story” in communities that fully embraced conservation agriculture.

Input support is being complemented by Government-funded tillage services and the scaling up of “commercialised conservation agriculture” to enhance productivity and climate resilience.

To further safeguard production, the Government has also expanded investments in water infrastructure, drilling boreholes and rehabilitating rivers, small dams and weirs in drought-prone areas.

“Authorities are investing in water infrastructure to cushion farmers from recurrent droughts and erratic rainfall linked to climate change,” she said. “Water is now regarded as a key enabler.”

The ministry is simultaneously strengthening agro-ecological zoning, encouraging farmers in natural regions 4 and 5 to prioritise traditional grains, while maize production is being consolidated in regions 1, 2 and 3.

Mrs Magwenzi said adherence to these guidelines was already improving yields and household food security.

“Water is available, tillage is available, mechanisation is available, knowledge and skills are available in terms of production and productivity for climate change. Our farmers are well empowered,” she said.