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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsGovt Invests Heavily In 2022-23 Agric Season

Govt Invests Heavily In 2022-23 Agric Season

The country’s agricultural sector is set for a major boost this summer cropping season with government already distributing inputs to rural and urban areas under the Pfumvudza ‘Intwasa’ input support scheme, Information and Publicity minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.

Speaking at a recent post cabinet media briefing,Mutsvangwa said the country is targeting to plant 465 707 hectares of maize under Pfumvudza this year.

“Compared to last season’s 215 481 hectares planted, this season the government has taken a gear up in ensuring foods security by devoting 465 707 hectares,” said Mutsvangwa.

Mutsvangwa said soya beans will also have a slightly lower hectarage as it is set to have 7 578 hectares as compared to last year’s 8 948.

She however reiterated that despite low hectarage, other food crops such as sorghum have also been put in huge numbers to cover the gap.

“In that respect 59 481 hectares is earmarked for sorghum production against last year’s 12 210, in the same vein, cotton planting is targeted at 88 856 against 13 166 that was planted last season.

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“The tobacco industry is one of the country’s major foreign currency earners as government has an initial target of 75 568 hectares as compared to 64 155 that was planted last year,” she said.

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Mutsvangwa added that government has begun the distribution of seeds, fertilizers and chemicals to farmers in all the country’s major ecological regions with the hope of increasing productivity in the agricultural sector.

According to the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, government will also assist with technical knowledge on how best farmers can realize huge harvests through the use of climate adaptive mechanisms.

“We will be deploying agricultural extension officer to work hand in hand with farmers to encourage new scientific methods of farming and to educate farmers on climate best farming practices,” the ministry said.

Following a bumper harvest from the winter wheat cropping season, the government has been on a drive to enhance food security especially in rural areas, where the effects of climate change are largely felt and has in the past left more communities with little or no harvests.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Bank, sub Saharan Africa faces a huge hunger crisis with an estimated 80 million people feared to be in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

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