malvernmugadzikwa
Zimbabwe recently hosted the 29th Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF 29), which forecasted that the Southern African region will receive normal to above-normal rainfall in the 2024/2025 season. Our reporter DEBRA MATABVU spoke to the acting chief director of the Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Mr LEONARD MUNAMATI, on the preparedness for the 2024/2025 summer cropping season and other related matters.
*********************
Q: Zimbabwe recently hosted the 29th SARCOF meeting and forecasts indicate that the country will receive normal to above-normal rainfall. How prepared is the country for the 2024/2025 summer cropping season?
A: On behalf of our department, I can say we are now prepared for the 2024/2025 summer cropping season. We have various programmes which have been lined up that will benefit our farmers during the coming season. Basically, the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme will benefit various smallholder farmers. These include farmers in communal areas; A1 farmers, who have plots that measure about six hectares; and old resettlement farmers.
This year, the Pfumvudza scheme seeks to benefit three million rural farmers, as well as 500 000 peri-urban farmers. That makes a total of 3,5 million smallholder farmers. For maize, we are targeting up to 1,8 million hectares (ha) that should be under the staple crop.
This is slightly more than what we did last season, when we managed to plant 1,7 million ha of maize.
Q: In addition to the Pfumvudza/Intwasa scheme, what other initiatives are in place?
A: There are also other programmes like the National Enhanced Agriculture Productivity Scheme, where we have three banks — NMB, CBZ and AFC — which are also sponsoring and contracting farmers. We also have private contractors. The Food Crop Contractors Association is targeting to contract 97 000ha, comprising 45 000ha of maize, 40 000ha of soya beans and 12 000ha of sorghum.
We also have the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda), which has been given the mandate to grow grains, including traditional grains, for the Strategic Grain Reserve.
Arda is targeting 100 000ha and it is expecting to produce at least 500 000 tonnes that go to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) for the Strategic Grain Reserve. We also have the self-financed farmers, who also buy some of the inputs.
Q: The Government recently indicated that inputs have now been distributed to GMB depots. When are the inputs set to reach farmers?
A: We are currently encouraging our farmers to prepare the Pfumvudza/Intwasa plots. The movement of inputs from the suppliers to GMB depots across the country has already started.
Currently, we have Compound D fertilisers that have been distributed to most of the GMB depots. We are expecting seed to move probably by this weekend or starting early this week.
Once that is done, distribution will start. The strategy we have is for the distribution to start with farmers who have prepared plots as soon as we get the seed.
Q: About 1,5 million farmers are now registered on the e-inputs distribution system. What are some of the benefits of this system?
A: The system is expected to have an impact on the reduction of abuse of inputs as recipients can be tracked by phone (which is faster) and also physically, as the coordinates (georeferencing) of the farm or village are also recorded. It also eliminates ghost farmers, as only bona fide farmers can be registered. Furthermore, this digital system eliminates unnecessary leakages, as all inputs can be tracked from the suppliers to the farmers, through the wallets of the AEOs (agricultural extension officers).
In addition, the movement of inputs can be tracked and pinned from the suppliers to the point of disappearance. We are, therefore, confident that this is a foolproof system.
Q: What is the latest update on winter wheat harvesting?
A: We expect harvesting in most areas to start this week, which is the second week of September. Most of the farmers start harvesting around that time. However, there are some farmers who planted early, and they have already started harvesting. In terms of preparedness, we are ready for the harvest season.
We have got combine harvesters from the AFC. They are working with individual farmers who are harvesting the wheat. Already, various farmers have been linked to combine harvesters which are readily available.
Q: The Government has said this season’s wheat output might exceed 600 000 tonnes. Any comment on this?
A: The target is to reach a minimum of 700 000 tonnes. We are still hopeful that we will be able to meet that target. We know that some hectares were planted a bit late into the season. However, in general, we had a good season.
We are still hopeful that the lateness will be compensated by the early crop.
As you are aware, the Government made various interventions to ensure that we break another wheat record by securing power for farmers and making inputs available on time. As we harvest the crop in the fields, we also start preparing for the 2024/2025 summer season.
Online Reporter