Masvingo Bureau

GOVERNMENT will start preparing for the 2021/2022 summer cropping season as early as July to allow farmers to receive their inputs on time, a senior Government official has said.

Speaking at a field day in Zano Communal Lands in Masvingo last week, Minister of State in the Office of the President and Cabinet in charge of Monitoring the Implementation of Special Agricultural and Related Programmes, Mr Davis Marapira, said mobilisation of inputs will start ahead of time. He said early land preparation allows farmers to plant their crop with the first rains, while the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, which requires adequate preparations, would be enhanced.

“My expectations are that we are supposed to do preparations for the 2021/2022 season as early as July. We are busy mobilising all the harvests that are supposed to get to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), but as soon as we are done with delivering to GMB, we should be delivering inputs to our farmers in preparation of the 2021/2022 farming season.”

Government, Minister Marapira added, will raise the stakes in the development of irrigation infrastructure countrywide.

“As an example, in this area, we are close to big dams like Mutirikwi. So, we look at the development of irrigation around Mutirikwi. We are looking at developing 4 000 hectares  . . . We will be drawing water to as far as Bikita.”

Mr Peter Mugwanda, who hosted the field day, said the Pfumvudza programme helped him improve his yield.

“I am very happy with the concept of Pfumvudza which was introduced by the Government.

“From a small piece of land I will get enough food to last the whole year for my family and also be able to sell the surplus produce to get school fees and other needs,” he said.