By John Nhandara
GOVERNMENT is convinced that the revised targets and four different financing schemes for the summer cropping season will guarantee national food security.
Four financing schemes are in place for the summer cropping season, with government having revised production targets to ensure 1. 9 million hectares are put under maize to produce three million tonnes.
“We have programmed our summer cropping season in four thrusts, which are Presidential Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs scheme, food crops contractors association, the National Ehanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme (NEAPS) and the self-financed farmers. For maize, we are targeting 1,9 million hectares, expecting an average yield of 1, 5 tonnes per hectare. What we are doing is to make sure all the programmes receive the necessary inputs,” said Chief Director-Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services Directorate, Professor Obert Jiri.
The distribution of inputs under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme is progressing well with indications that more than half of the targeted seed maize has been received by Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots for onward distribution to farmers.
“For maize seed we have distributed 75 percent to various GMB depots. We think by the second week of December everything must have reached GMB depots. We are also currently working on the distribution of small grains,” noted Mr Tich Maponga, Distributor – Presidential Inputs Scheme.
Meanwhile, distribution of cotton inputs is now underway, with 540 000 households set to benefit under the cotton Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme.
