Herald Reporter
Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs must ensure that all involved in the Climate-Proofed Presidential Inputs Programme, commonly known as Pfumvudza, work together to make the programme a success.

Pfumvudza promotes conservation farming techniques and involves use of small plots on smallholder farms and applying the correct agronomic practices for higher returns.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, speaking as Chairperson of the Food and Nutrition Committee, last week urged Ministers of State to work closely with officials of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, farmer associations, political leadership, local leadership, stakeholders and the farming communities to ensure the targets set are met.

Small-scale farmers across all eight rural provinces have been given the target of 1,8 million tonnes of cereals and 360 000 tonnes of oil seeds in the forthcoming summer cropping season under Pfumvudza, the climate-proofed upgrade of the previous Presidential Inputs Programme.

This will not only produce almost 90 percent of the annual national food requirements and ensure that once the A1 and A2 farmers have built on that broad base, pushing Zimbabwe into surplus and ensuring industry has the required raw materials and larger markets.

“I also expect weekly progress reports that will enable us to assess performance of each province and overall performance of the Pfumvudza Programme.

“I am happy to remind the Provincial Ministers of State that in the spirit of devolution, central Government will be assessing the performance progress of individual provincial economies in terms of overall GDP,” said VP Chiwenga.

He said Government was also going to re-introduce farmer competitions at ward, district and provincial levels to reward hardworking farmers.

“I therefore encourage you to take full advantage of this programme and to ensure that you do all you can to guarantee its success. You have to own the programme and take full responsibility. Extreme ownership matters,” he said.

Under the Pfumvudza concept, communal farmers will practice conservation agriculture for them to benefit under the Climate-Proofed Presidential Inputs Programme.

The concept, which will be applied to maize, traditional grains and oil seeds, will also commercialise smallholder agriculture.

Distribution of inputs for the Pfumvudza Programme has started with seed and fertilisers being delivered to GMB depots.

Farmers are expected to start collecting inputs this week.