Zaka farmers receive additional inputs

Sydney Mubaiwa in Zaka
Farmers here have started receiving additional farming inputs under the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme to enable them to continue planting, while allowing others to replant following a prolonged dry spell that ravaged most crops in the district.

The development comes in the wake of recent rains that have been falling in most parts of Zaka and other parts of the province raising hopes, amongst farmers, of salvaging something from the current agricultural season that has been blighted by poor rains.

Zaka district Agritex officer Mr Esau Mutuzungari told The Herald the additional farming inputs were being distributed through the Grain Marketing Board main depot at Jerera Growth point to other satellite depots for onward allocation.

A snap survey by The Herald showed that most farmers in the district have been receiving top dressing fertiliser since last week. Others had not yet planted the maize and soya beans seed they were given under the scheme late last year owing to lack of rains. Mr Mutuzungari said there was a lot of progress in fertiliser distribution across the district.

“Farmers here are now receiving additional inputs under the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme and we are happy that the programme just came at the right time when rains are falling.

“This gives our farmers an opportunity to replant the maize after the initial crop was affected by the prolonged dry period. We encourage farmers to grow short season varieties that mature early so that we beat the winter season. We are quite hopeful that the additional inputs will save the season that was heading towards disaster, but that can only happen if rains continue to fall,” he said.

He said Government recently imported fertiliser following the release of funds by the central bank. Meanwhile, Mr Mutuzungari encouraged farmers in traditionally arid districts like Zaka to venture into small grain production to cushion them from effects of prolonged dry spells blamed on climate change. He said small grains were drought-tolerant compared to maize.

“I am appealing to farmers to consider small grains production that guarantee food security in the wake of recurrent droughts, said Mr Mutuzungari. Last month, Government revealed that 75 percent of inputs for the 2017 /18 farming season had been availed to farmers under the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme across the country.