Midlands tops groundnuts production
Source: Midlands tops groundnuts production | The Herald
Agriculture Reporter
Midlands is topping the list in groundnuts production with farmers in the province having so far planted 16 783 hectares of the crop by December 29, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has revealed.
Government is promoting the production of groundnuts especially among smallholder farmers under the Climate-Proofed Presidential Inputs Scheme, popularly known as Pfumvudza/Intwasa.
Groundnuts production is also being promoted as a way of encouraging farmers to diversify to other crops and expand the export base.
According to the Agritex weekly update, farmers in Manicaland had planted 26 472 hectares of groundnuts during the same period last year.
Farmers in Masvingo have planted 14 022ha, Mashonaland West 9 747ha and Midlands 9 581ha and Mashonaland East 9 151ha.
Mashonaland central farmers have planted 5 431ha, Matabeleland South 4 108ha and 2 135ha.
This season, the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme is targeting to empower 500 000 households to plant 32 000 hectares of groundnuts and produce 32 000 tonnes.