Brian Rungano Temba
The Government Climate–Proofed Presidential Input Programme will target 3.5 million farmers drawn from Communal, A1, Small-Scale Commercial Farming, Old Resettlement and the transient urban cultivation sectors this season.
This is being done to increase the productivity of all crops.
Acting Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said the programme will support 5 Pfumvudza plots per household with an agro-ecological region-specific crop input package for maize, sorghum, pearl millet, soya beans, sunflower, groundnuts, vegetables and African peas.
“Cabinet wishes to advise the nation that a number of strategies will be implemented to increase the productivity of all crops, including the following: information dissemination and technology transfer by up-scaling the Farmer Field Schools per village concept
“Intensification of use of digital platforms and online applications; capacity building through intensive in-service training of agricultural extension officers; liming and soil reconditioning; climate proofing and irrigation development.
“The other strategies include enhancing input support and availability; ensuring affordable financing; strengthening smallholder and large scale mechanization; and implementing a Grain Swap Scheme at the Grain Marketing Board (GMB),” he said.
The Zunde RaMambo scheme will support 10 plots for Chiefs, 7 plots for headmen and 5 plots each for village heads.
The Pfumvudza/Intwasa package for each household will be as follows: a 10kg pack of maize seed for farmers in Regions 1 and 2; a 5kg pack for those in Region 3; and a 2kg pack of either sorghum or pearl millet seed for those in regions 4 and 5.
“Each farmer will also receive a 50kg bag of basal fertilizer, top-dressing fertilizer and lime. The package per farmer for other optional crops will be 2kg each for sorghum, sunflower, sugar beans and groundnuts as well as 1kg of pearl millet and African peas,” he added.
Regarding the target for the 2023/2024 Cotton Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, Minister Muswere said the nation is being informed that two plots of 0.25 hectares will be required for each grower to access inputs.
“The programme has a tillage component and support for hybrid cotton varieties,” he said.
Pertaining to the Presidential Rural Development Programme, the target for 2023/2024 is to drill 2 200 boreholes and distribute three fruit trees, seeds for traditional vegetables and sweet potato vines to 3 million households throughout the country.
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