Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa inspects maize at ARDA Ingwizi Estate in this file photo
Elita Chikwati, Harare Bureau
Government plans to come up with a Command Agriculture cropping calendar to guide farmers on appropriate agronomic practices to follow to boost production and productivity in the sector, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.
He said this at a Command Agriculture Multi-Stakeholder Coordinating Workshop in Harare on Wednesday.
The workshop was attended by senior Government officials including Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Christopher Mushohwe, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made, Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi, Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora, Minister of State for National Security, Kembo Mohadi, Small to Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development Minister Sithembiso Nyoni, Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Supa Mandiwanzira, Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha, Minister of Rural Development and Preservation of National Cultural Heritage, Abednico Ncube.
Also in attendance were Deputy Chief Secreatry to the President and Cabinet Mr Justin Mpamhanga, Reserve Bank Governor Dr John Mangudya, representatives from parastatals and the agro-sector value chain, among others.
Cde Mnangagwa said it was important to develop a calendar to be used as a guide in areas such as the supply of raw materials for the manufacture or processing of inputs such as fertilisers, lime and seed, co-ordinated soil testing, access to inputs, ploughing, discing and harrowing.
“The calendar will also guide farmers on the application of herbicides; coordinated harvesting, timely collection of harvested maize and other farm produce from collection points and drying of the maize to free fields for winter wheat and barley,” he said.
Cde Mnangagwa said migration from summer to winter was sometimes so close that winter set in before summer crops attained the moisture content required by the Grain Marketing Board.
“We are now working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development to help farmers to migrate from summer to winter by providing crop dryers countrywide to release the land for the winter crop,” said Cde Mnangagwa.
“We believe by next year winter, we would have done a lot to relieve farmers of those challenges.
“The calendar will also guide land preparation for the winter crop or any other crops falling in the same season. The calendar should be communicated to all stakeholders including tillage service providers as well as lime, seed and fertiliser suppliers,” he said.
He applauded farmers for doing well during the 2016/17 season and said although there were challenges, the country had produced enough food to feed itself.
“The potential for this country to produce food not for its people only but for the region as well is there, “he said.
Cde Mnangagwa said Command Agriculture was a success although it faced challenges such as the late disbursement of inputs, fall armyworm outbreak and too much continuous rain in parts of the country.
“Despite these challenges, the assessment by the Ministry of Agriculture assures us that we are going to have enough food for ourselves and say bye bye to the importation of maize,” he said.
Cde Mnangagwa expressed gratitude to President Mugabe for providing guidance and leadership in the agricultural initiative.
“During the State of the Nation Address on August 25, 2015, his Excellency the President outlined a 10-Point Plan for economic growth wherein he stated, inter- alia, the need to revitalise agriculture and the agro-processing value chain, advance beneficiation and value addition to our agricultural and mining resources endowments as well as establishing joint ventures and pubic-private partnerships to boost the role and performance of State-owed companies,” he said.