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Peter Matika, [email protected] 

PREPARATIONS for the 2023\24 summer cropping season are underway with the Government urging farmers to play ball by strengthening the adoption of climate-proof agriculture methods such as Pfumvudza/Intwasa to guarantee a good harvest.

Presenting a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services Minister who was the acting Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said the summer cropping season will commence early in order to limit the disruption of logistics such as the distribution movement of fertilizers, fuel and other inputs as the year progresses. 

“Early indications point towards suppressed rainfall amounts during the 2023/2024 summer season, hence the need to strengthen climate-proofed agriculture through improved agro-ecological tailoring of crops, enhancing business advisory services and entrenching the farmer field schools’ concept,” said the Minister.

He said the number of strategies will be implemented to increase productivity of all crops.

 Dr Jenfan Muswere said strategies that include enhancing input support and availability that will ensure affordable financing; strengthening of smallholder and large-scale mechanisation; and implementing a Grain Swap Scheme at the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) will be implemented.

“The Government Climate–Proofed Presidential Input Programme will target 3.5 million farmers from Communal, A1, Small-Scale Commercial Farming, Old Resettlement and the transient urban cultivation sectors for cereals, oilseeds and legumes. 

“The programme will support five 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,” he said.

Pfumvudza/Intwasa

“The Zunde RaMambo scheme will support 10 plots for Chiefs, seven plots for headmen and five 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 fertiliser, 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.”