THE Lord helps those who help themselves.

This could easily be President Mnangagwa and his Government’s agriculture motto.

The forecasting of normal to above normal rains in the country after years of drought have not stopped this hard-working Government from planning for the future.

According to the latest Global Agricultural Geo-monitoring Initiative (GEOGLAM) global outlook report, southern Africa may receive more rainfall compared to the 2019/20 farming season.

The Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has also said heavy downpours experienced throughout the country mark the start of the rain season.

The country’s major cities Harare, Bulawayo and Gweru received heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday compared to rains received in other parts of Zimbabwe.

The envisaged good rains are a result of the La-Nina climate pattern that is set to affect most of the Sadc region.

The La-Nina climate pattern is associated with heavy rains in the affected regions.

For some time now, President Mnangagwa’s Government has been on the ground preparing farmers for a favourable rain season to ensure full utilisation of land.

In a bid to end food insecurity in Zimbabwe, Government has come up with a new inputs policy.

This year’s presidential inputs which are being disbursed under the Intwasa/Pfumvudza farming concept, that is popularly known as gatshompo in the Matabeleland region, include cow peas, groundnuts, cotton seeds as well as fertiliser and chemicals to help farmers yield enough produce.

Under the programme, each household receives a standardised input package of 5kg maize seed, 50kg basal and 50kg top dressing fertiliser and these communal farmers will be expected to practice Intwasa/Pfumvudza.

Also, under the Agriculture Recovery Plan, Government has set aside 100 000 hectares of land, which will be transformed into a greenbelt with an anticipated yield of at least on million tonnes of maize within the next three years.

The massive project will be implemented at Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme in Binga, Matabeleland North, in the lowveld areas of Masvingo and Kanyemba in Mashonaland Central.

At Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme, the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) has since entered into a joint venture with a local private company to put 15 000 hectares of land under food and export crops as well as crocodile farming.

At least 200 hectares of land has been cleared for the summer cropping season, while Government has since engaged an on-site engineering consultant Mr Paul Kruger to offer technical assistance.

Last month, President Mnangagwa launched the US$51 million agriculture mechanisation facility using Belarus equipment. All equipment in the first phase of the facility will be delivered by December while in second phase an assembly plant will be established in Zimbabwe.

Even when the Lord helps with the rains, farmers must still play their part.

Government has also gone further to prepare for droughts in seasons to come. Irrigation and mechanisation are indeed the way to go.

President Mnangagwa’s Government is not taking any chances by waiting for divine intervention alone. A lot of work needs to be done on the ground if the country is to be food secure and retain its breadbasket of Africa status.