Story by Peter Chivhima
OVER 35 000 metric tonnes of basal fertilisers have been distributed to farmers under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme ahead of the summer cropping season.
The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Honourable Anxious Masuka said, “To date, we have done 38% of the basal fertiliser requirements with 36,000 metric tonnes into the GMB tables out of the 95,000 that we are looking at. Additionally, we have started moving seeds. We have also mobilised farmers to do the three Pfumvudza plots per household. Out of the targeted 9.5 million plots, 4.2 million plots have been done, as of yesterday.
“We also now have put in place improved distribution structures for the inputs, led at one level by the Councillors and all the village guests being part of this. But more importantly, we will now use an electronic form to on-board farmers. The electronic form will reconcile the distribution at farmer level with the database that is the resident at GMB, at the EA estimates rate office. So we think that the preparations for this year are much better, more advanced. And I will try to eliminate all the other use for side marketing or theft of the inputs.”
Government is also putting in place mechanisms to safeguard the inputs from unscrupulous individuals and companies through strengthening distribution committees and introducing the Pfumvudza/Intwasa e-registration.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs distribution programme during his State of the Nation Address last week.
He said, “A new record wheat harvest of 600 000 tonnes is projected from the 2024 winter crop. This is a result of our unity of purpose and effective policy frameworks. We remain optimistic in respect of the 2024–2025 summer cropping season, with projections of normal to above normal rainfall in most provinces.
“I am pleased with the pace of inputs distribution under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Presidential Climate-proofed Agriculture Production Scheme and other programmes. To date, various finance institutions and private sector stakeholders have committed to support farmers under the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to officially launch the summer cropping season Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme later this month.
