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Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
EIGHTEEN-year-old Miss Lucia Ndlovu is part of the Intwasa/Pfumvudza 2022-2023 beneficiaries who received farm inputs during a launch at Bayethe Village in Umzingwane District’s ward 14 yesterday.

The farm inputs are set to benefit 1 058 households from Ward 14 and 14 500 from Matabeleland South Province.
They will be part of three million farmers who are targeted to benefit from the scheme during this year’s agricultural season.

The district launch was done at Mr Melusi and Mrs Sibongile Ngulube’s two-hectare field in Umzingwane District, under Bayethe Village in Ward 14.

Hundreds of people attended.

Among those who attended were guest of honour, Insiza District Agritex Officer Mr Augustine Mhike and Umzingwane MP Brigadier-General (Retired) Levi Mayihlome.

The Ngulubes have eight plots that are at different stages of preparation where maize, millet, sorghum and sunflower will be planted. Each plot has 1 456 holes.

Launched by President in 2019, the Intwasa/Pfumvudza scheme is in line with Vision 2030 to attain an upper to middle class economy.

It dovetails with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) under food security.

At the Ngulubes field, there was a demonstration of how the land was prepared such as ripping, sizing the distance between holes and lines, the depth of each hole and how many seeds are put in each.

During the tour of the field, Mr Ngulube said he harvested more than four tonnes of maize and he could have gotten more if rains had been more favourable.

For the Ward a total of 1 058 households will benefit from the programme and were each given 50kgs of Compound D fertilizer, 50kgs of top dressing, 2kgs of maize seed, 2kgs sorghum seed, 2kgs sunflower and 2kgs pearl millet seeds.

18-year-old Miss Lucia Ndlovu said she was keen on continuing with Intwasa this farming season.

“Last year I had a yield that was okay as I could have done better. I got 30 buckets and I didn’t have fertilizer as I was using termite mound sand as fertilizer. This year with the inputs I received, I will be able to farm more and get money from the produce with the help of my aunt,” said Miss Ndlovu.

She encouraged youths from her area not to shun the Intwasa programme, but embrace it.
“I wish my fellow youths could join this programme because it guarantees food security and also you can make a lot of money on the side. My friends were laughing at me at one time, but now some come for advice after seeing my yield,” said Miss Ndlovu.

Another beneficiary, Ms Evelyn Ncube (67), from the same village, said the Intwasa programme has helped her feed five orphans under her keep.

“I have five orphans and with them I till the land and it hasn’t been easy. But since I started this Intwasa from last year’s yields I can now pay fees for the children and also feed the family,” said Ms Ncube.

She thanked Government led by President Mnangagwa for coming up with the programme.

Mrs Ngulube, who runs the farm with her husband where the launch was being held said this year she wants to increase the number of plots on her land.

“I was happy with the yield as from five plots I got over five tonnes of maize. So I have been encouraged to do more this year so I’m increasing the plots from five to eight, so that I increase my yields,” said Mrs Ngulube.

She said it takes hard work and dedication to prepare the field.

“We started preparing our field in July and so far we have dug over 7 000 holes from the five plots. Additionally, we are ripping the other plots.

“It is hard work, as I wake up in the morning and with the help of a team of workers, we prepared the land. We use ox drawn plows that dig 15cm tracks and with a marker we space each hole by 60cm. Someone digs those holes while another plants seeds with Compound D fertilizer.”

Mrs Ngulube and her husband on top of their inputs also received 10kg of maize seed and 4kg of pearl millet seed from SeedCo and 10kg of maize seed from AgriSeeds.

During the same function under the Isiphala Senkosi, Chief Gwebu represented by village head Mr Sindiso Ncube, also received inputs.

He received five 50kg of Compound D fertilizer, five 50kg top dressing, 10kg maize seed and a knapsack sprayer.
Mr Ncube as the village head received, two 50kg of Compound D, two 50kg top dressing, 10kg maize seed, 2kg of sunflower seed and 2kg of pearl millet.

This is part of Government policies to strengthen food security in rural areas.