Government targets small scale farmers

Government targets small scale farmers

By Letwin Mazarura

Government is targeting to support at least 149 000 smallholder farmers in Matebeleland North Province with inputs.

The nation is expecting above average rainfall as projected by the meteorological service department in Zimbabwe.

The government, therefore targets the small scale farmers by providing inputs in order to increase the agricultural output this year.

The Agritex provincial officer for Matebeleland North Province, Dumisani Nyoni said farmers are expected to prepare five plots of land under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme.

“We are targeting 149 000 smallholder farmers in different parts of Matebeleland North Province to benefit from this programme,” Nyoni said.

He added: “At the moment we are at a stage where Agritex is sensitising them to prepare for the cropping season.

“Under the Intwasa /Pfumvudza programme, farmers are this year expected to prepare five plots and get maize or sorghum depending on their location .”

Nyoni said the programme encourages farmers to mechanise Pfumvudza where instead of digging planting basins they can use animal drafts and direct feeders.

“We anticipate that towards the end of the October we will be seized with the distribution of inputs to those farmers that would have met the criteria for Pfumvudza /Intwasa programme.”

“We are also encouraging farmers to prepare and repair resources to their fields and revisit conservation works in the fields.”

He urged farmers to use coal for soil fertility management.

“We are also encouraging farmers when they are complying to procure additional seed fertiliser for their other crops that might not be necessarily under Intwasa or Pfumvudza.”

“ Here and there draught animals cannot be in condition to hold the plough so no we urge farmers to do supplementary feeding of those animals that would be used for draught purposes,” Nyoni said.

The agricultural output is expected to be higher this year with the expected good rains.