Freedom Mupanedemo

Midlands Bureau

Preparations for Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme have begun in earnest in the Midlands province with 156 000 trained farmers already receiving their inputs.

Midlands provincial crops and livestock officer, Mrs Madeline Magwenzi said the farmers were preparing to plant.

“The programme has started and the planting is underway. The good news is that all our farmers have already received their inputs from Government and work is underway as we move to implement Government’s agriculture recovery plan programme,” she said.

Mrs Magwenzi urged the farmers to continue working closely with extension officers on planting and conservation methods to maximise production.

“We have also deployed enough officers to every district to work with the farmers. They (extension officers) have motorbikes so they are mobile and are ready to assist farmers so that we become one of the best province come harvest season,” she said.

Mrs Magwenzi said there were commercial farmers in the province who have also embraced the Pfumvudza programme, which will boost the province’s output. She said farmers with irrigation were also preparing land, scooping dams so they could store enough water during the rainy season.

“Land preparation in the province actually started in July. We have commercial farmers who have also embraced the Pfumvudza programme. Command Agriculture/Agro-yield support programme is also underway big time in the province. We have been busy on our irrigation schemes making sure they prepare the dams which have silted over the years,” she said.