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Sharon Shayanewako
The Government has reiterated that distribution of inputs under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme will start this week, as it moves to ensure that farmers get a head start to the 2022/23 cropping season and establish an early crop.
In an interview with The Herald in Harare yesterday, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development chief director responsible for Rural Advisory Services said movement of inputs to various Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots countrywide had been intensified in recent weeks, which made it possible for their distribution to farmers to begin.
“Following the intensification of deliveries of the Pfumvudza inputs to GMB depots nationwide, the distribution of these inputs will commence this week.
“And with the summer cropping season fast approaching, we want to make sure our farmers are fully-equipped in terms of inputs,” said Prof Jiri.
Meanwhile, acting deputy director Training and Information under the Department of Agritex Ms Nester Gumbo has commended the Government’s initiative of distributing Pfumvudza inputs early.
“Distribution of inputs before the rains start is a great initiative because it ensures that farmers plant early with first effective rains, hence escaping some of the vagaries of the weather such as long dry spells during the crop establishment,” she said.
In recent seasons, the onset of the rains has delayed with many farmers failing to establish early crops and when they eventually planted, the rains that had just fallen left immediately paving the way for a dry spell.
Pfumvudza/Intwasa is a concept aimed at climate-proofing agriculture by adopting conservation farming techniques and involves the use of small areas and applying the correct agronomic practices for higher yields and so returns, rather than having large fields with low yields or zero yields if the crop fails.
Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme is set to benefit 3,5 million farmers in communal, A1, small-scale commercial farming, old resettlement and peri-urban farmers in the production of oilseeds, cereals and legumes.
The programme will support five Pfumvudza plots – each measuring 39m by 16m per household with agro-ecological regions specific crop input packages for maize, sorghum, pearl millet, soya beans, sunflower, groundnuts, vegetables and African peas.
The package will also include water retention enhancers, herbicides package for three plots and a fall-armyworm control package. The programme is also targeting 500 000 urban farmers who will each get inputs for one plot of maize and one bag of fertiliser that will be shared among three beneficiaries.
Online Reporter