Nyemudzai Kakore Herald Correspondent
Government yesterday called on farmers willing to participate in the Command Agriculture, a special programme on contract maize farming, to register with Agritex officers in their respective provinces.
The programme, whose aim is to ensure national food security, targets farmers with potential to produce over five tonnes of maize per hectare.
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In a statement yesterday, Government said farmers that were targeted to participate in the programme were those with irrigation infrastructure, potential irrigable areas and maize producers on dry land (large and smalls scale farmers) starting from the next summer cropping season.
“All farmers with potential to produce about five tonnes per hectare are targeted starting 2016/2017 summer season. The programme will support where required, with tillage and production inputs e.g. fertilisers, seed, and agrochemicals on a cost recovery bases,” reads the statement.
Farmers in Mashonaland Central should contact Mr Tapererwa on 0775 209 976, Ms E. Shambare on 0772 587 389 for Mashonaland West, Mr N. Mugabe on 0772 619 872 for Mashonaland East, Mr Mamhare on 0776 329 916 for Manicaland, Mr T. Chamisa on 0772 243 827 for Midlands, Mr P. Poshai on 0773 394 452 for Masvingo, Mr Nyoni on 0775 813 338 for Matabeleland North and, Mr Ncube on 0712 415 164 for Matabeleland South.
The programme which is being worked on a $500 million command agricultural programme aims to produce two million tonnes of maize on 400 000 hectares of land.
Government’s decision to embark on command agriculture was necessitated by the rise in national food insecurity from about 12 percent in 2011 to 42 percent this year.