Farming preps in full swing

Harare – Close to four million hectares of land will be planted in the 2022/23 farming season to guarantee Zimbabwe’s food, stockfeed and oilseed self-sufficiency, Cabinet said on Tuesday.
Spurred by this year’s record breaking winter wheat harvest, prospects of normal to above normal rainfall, and increased government support, farmers are expected to record  increased yields in the 2022/23 cropping season.
In a post Cabinet briefing, acting Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Sekai Nzenza said input distribution under various government support models such as the Climate Proofed Presidential Inputs Support Programme (Pfumvudza/Intwasa) was underway, and was being done to match agro-ecological zones’ requirements.
So far, she said, the total area planted under cereals stands at 13 907 hectares for maize, 270 hectares for sorghum and 147 hectares for pearl millet.
“Planting has commenced in some areas, and concerns over the prices of inputs, especially fertiliser, are being looked into,” she said.
“The objective for the 2022/2023 summer production season remains to achieve food, stockfeed and oilseed self-sufficiency from a total of 3 950 283 hectares output, which are expected to yield a total of 4 928 260 metric tonnes for all crops.”
In terms of financing, Nzenza said, the major sources of funds for the production of the major crops were the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme (NEAPS), Agricultural Rural Development Authority (ARDA), the private sector, and self-financing.
She said NEAPS, which comprises CBZ Agro Yield and AFC Holdings make up about 23 percent of the financing.
The AFC scheme alone, she said, was targeting a total output of 357 000 metric tonnes of maize, soyabeans, sunflower and traditional grains from 65 000 hectares.
Nzenza said a  total of 4 610 636 Pfumvudza/Intwasa plots had been prepared,  a significant increase from last season’s 2 304 417 plots, while 2 707 064 farmers have been trained, compared to 2 071 627 during the previous season.
“The Grain Marketing Board is receiving and distributing  Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs to farmers, and is targeting to have completed distribution by 30 November, 2022.
“To date, 54 percent of the maize (seed) has been received by GMB depots of which 68 percent has been distributed to beneficiaries, while 47 percent of the received traditional grains (seed) have been distributed,” she said.
“Seventy nine percent of the basal and top-dressing fertilisers received have been distributed. Adequate transport for movement of all inputs to wards has been mobilized.”
Nzenza added; “Incidents of corruption and violence at input distribution points are under investigation. The composition of Distribution Committees has been expanded and security enhanced at the centres to curtail such practices and the public is urged to quickly report any incidents they may come across to authorities in their area.”
Distribution of cotton inputs was also underway, with 540 000 households targeted for support under the Pvumvudza/Intwasa programme.
Meanwhile, regarding livestock, Nzenza said a total of 261 435 chickens and 3 332 goats had been distributed under the Presidential Rural Poultry and Goat schemes, respectively.
“In terms of water supply, a total of 368 boreholes have been drilled under the Borehole Drilling Programme across the country.”