Story by Tendai Munengwa
MORE than five million Pfumvudza/Intwasa plots have been prepared across the country as farmers gear up for the 2025–2026 summer cropping season.
With preparations in full swing, some parts of the country, including Rusape, Goromonzi, and Chinhoyi, have already received early showers.
These early rains are encouraging farmers to intensify land preparation ahead of the expected onset of normal rainfall.
The Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme continues to play a key role in enhancing food security through climate-smart agriculture and efficient land use.
“These rains are not for planting, this is what we call in shona bumharutsva, but we are happy with the rate at which farmers are preparing their holes so far over five million plots have been prepared as compared to 11.8 million done last year, so this is good progress we urge our farmers to work with AGRITEX officers on inputs registration,” said the Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri.
AGRITEX officers have rallied farmers to stick to all the Pfumvudza/Intwasa recommendations, while farmers are satisfied with the climate-proof concept.
“To all farmers who are busy doing their plots, do it properly, do the required depth, put enough fertiliser and mulching to conserve moisture,” one Agritex officer said.
“We have moved in on time, let us do precision, make sure we balance our soil texture that is sic to seven pH, put our manure, and once the good rains come, farmers will harvest,” another Agritex officer said.
“I used drought power last year, but my yields were low, so with Pfumvudza, we got a good harvest,” a farmer said.
With over three million households benefiting under the Presidential Free Inputs Scheme, the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme is one of the country’s food security flagship concepts, propelling the nation towards regaining its status as the breadbasket of Southern Africa.
