By Zivanai Dhewa
Government has resolved to boost its production and ensure food security. This follows the 2020/21 weather forecast by the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) that this year the country will experience normal to above normal rainfall patterns.
Speaking during the 34th Post Cabinet Briefing, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting, Monica Mutsvangwa said, “The meeting resolved to implement strategies to revamp production to ensure and assure food security; to increase import substitution; to diversify and increase exports and to increase value addition and beneficiation.
Stating ways in which these can be attained, Minister Mutsvangwa said, “The main programmes under which farming activities will be resourced include the Pfumvudza/Presidential Input Scheme, the Command or Smart Agriculture Program and the Presidential Cotton and Sesame Programme.”
For this to be attained, Cabinet noted that, “The distributions of inputs will be expedited for crops as well as for livestock production, while Agritex will be capacitated to achieve greater mobility following the procurement of motor bikes that will soon be distributed to the provinces.”
Cabinet also noted that, the seed supply situation for maize varieties will be enough to cover Government programmes, private sector and individual farmers using their own funds and resources.
The prediction of a normal to above normal rainfall is a relief to the county after having suffered consecutive El Nino induced drought spells from the 2017/18, 2018/19 and the 2019/20, followed by Cyclone Idai, which ravaged much of Manicaland, Masvingo and parts of Midlands destroying vast tracts of farmland with crops and citrus fruit and more that 300 cattle and other livestock. This 2020/21 farming season Zimbabwe is hoping to increase production and reduce on the import bill of cereal and other crops.
