Abednigo Ncube
Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Matabeleland South Province has surpassed its targeted yield of maize put under Government’s Command Agriculture scheme by 29 percent, an official has said. Chairperson of the provincial coordinating committee Mr Masauso Mawocha said so far they had delivered 1 700 tonnes of maize grown under the scheme to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).
He said the programme was a great success considering that the province was a semi-arid region, where crop husbandry largely depended on irrigation farming.
Mr Mawocha said at the beginning of the programme, they had set a target yield of 8 243.75 tonnes from 1 648.75 hectares.
“We have set our new target harvest to 10 634 tonnes,” he said. “You will note that despite having challenges in terms of water logging and threats from fall armyworm, we have done well.
“So far we have harvested a total of 5 446 tonnes of maize from 844.35 hectares, with an average yield of 6.45 tonnes per hectare.”
Mr Mawocha said they were working on harvesting the remaining 804.5 hectares.
He commended the level of production by those who registered under Command Agriculture in the province. Some of the participating irrigation schemes included Arda Ingwizi in Mangwe district, Magwe, Mankonkoni and Rustlers Gorge in Gwanda District and Silalatshani in Insiza District.
Other irrigation schemes like River Ranch, Jalukanga and Bili in Beitbridge district, Moza in Bulimia district and Arda Maphisa in Matobo district and Esigodini Agriculture College did quite well.
“The programme also incorporated communal farmers,” said Mr Mawocha. “So far the beneficiaries have collectively delivered 1 700 tonnes to GMB, using their own transport.
“However, we have engaged the national command centre with the view of assisting some of the farmers with the transportation of the maize to the depots (GMB).”
The Acting Provincial Minister of State (Matabeleland South), Cde Abednico Ncube, who is also the Minister of Rural Development, Preservation and Promotion of Culture and Heritage said they were attending to all the logistical issues to enable successful delivery of the maize grown under the programme.
“We are happy with the progress on the ground and have tasked all our technocrats to attend to all the logistical issues as and when they arise,” he said. “I would also want to encourage many people from the province to embrace Command Agriculture, which seeks to address food security at the same time economically empowering them.”
Cde Ncube said it was important for those who benefited in the land reform programme to scale up their efforts in making the country’s agrarian reform a memorable success.