The Midlands Province has submitted its provincial Command Agriculture and Presidential inputs requirements with the relevant ministry and is now expecting to receive its share ahead of the 2019-2020 farming season, an official has said.

Midlands provincial crop and livestock officer Mrs Medline Magwenzi said the province has also submitted seed varieties suitable for each of its 10 districts.

“We compiled the number of hectares to be put under the presidential input scheme and Command Agriculture and have since submitted our provincial requirement in terms of tonnage and we are now waiting to receive our share so that we start distributing the inputs,” she said.

“We want to be ready for the farming season and be early birds so that we improve our provincial harvest. We have also this time insisted on different seed varieties based on each district as opposed to receiving the same seed variety for the whole province.”

Mrs Magwenzi, who said she did not have the province’s requirements off hand, urged farmers not registered under the Command Agriculture and Presidential Input Support Scheme to start stocking their seeds in preparation for the farming season.

“As for those who are not in the programme, now is the time to start buying and stocking their seed and fertiliser as they will be expensive once we approach the rainy season,” said Mrs Magwenzi.

She urged farmers in the province to begin tilling the land so that rains will not catch them unawares.

“Now is the time to be tiling our land and repairing our perimeter fences and doing other repairs,” she said. “I also implore farmers to start all the preparations and be ready for the farming season.”

Mrs Magwenzi has bemoaned the state of livestock in the province which is battling drought.

“Most of our farmers use draught power and most of the livestock is in bad shape,” she said.