by Grace Chekai

Minister of state for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Ezra Chadzamira has said that the Pfumvudza program is meant to ensure food security amid the threat of climate change.

Addressing farmers at his farm in Masvingo yesterday, Minister Chadzamira said the Pfumvudza programme will ensure human security in the face of climate change.

Minister Chadzamira said that Government came with this strategy so as to end the climate induced drought. He further said that the New Dispensation adopted this strategy to mitigate hunger and avoid continuation of importing cereal for sustainance.

He further said that Government will provide the people with all the required inputs to plough.

“You cannot fail to cultivate your land when you have your own strength and a hoe. This is only what is required of you to have.

“Our President Emmerson Mnangagwa directed us to publicise this program. Government is the one that will provide maize seed, fertilizer and herbicides for this program,” said the Minister.

Minister Chadzamira encouraged farmers to cultivate their fields near their houses for security and to ensure that the water they use at their homes will also be used to water their fields.

He further said that the fields should be 39 metres by 16 metres long and supposed to give 52 rows which could produce a tonne of the maize after harvest.

Minister Chadzamira said that an average family of six people will only consume a tonne in a period of one year, so the surplus is expected to be sold to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).

The Pfumvudza program is expected to go a long way in empowering the majority of people in Zimbabwe.

Receiving his Zimlife appreciation award for successfully spearheading the Command Agriculture Program last month, President Mnangagwa said that the Pfumvudza program concept is more embracing because with Command Agriculture, the Government was only dealing with people who had some degree of empowerment already, but with Pfumvudza, no one would be left behind.