Staff Reporter
Government is determined to distribute the Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs to all beneficiaries before the end of this month so that farmers can plant in time.
Addressing the media after the 33rd Cabinet session yesterday, Acting Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Sekai Nzenza said that to date, 54 percent of the maize seed has been received by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots of which 68 percent has been distributed to beneficiaries.
“Meanwhile, the Grain Marketing Board is receiving and distributing Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs to farmers, and is targeting to have completed distribution by 30 November, 2022. To date, 54% of the maize has been received by GMB depots of which 68% has been distributed to beneficiaries, while 47% of the received traditional grains have been distributed. Seventy nine percent of the basal and top-dressing fertilisers received have been distributed,” said Minister Nzenza.
The Minister added that the Government has mobilised adequate transport to ferry the Pfumvudza inputs to farmers. She further said that 4 610 636 Pfumvudza/Intwasa plots have been prepared for the 2022/23 planting season.
“A total of 4 610 636 Pfumvudza/Intwasa plots have been prepared. This is a significant increase from last season’s 2 304 417 Pfumvudza/Intwasa plots, while 2 707 064 farmers have been trained, compared to 2 071 627 during the previous season,” said Minister Nzenza.
Minister Nzenza further informed that incidents of corruption and violence at input distribution points were under investigation. She added that the composition of Distribution Committees has been expanded and security enhanced at the centres to curtail such practices.
The Minister further added that the objective for the 2022/2023 Summer Production Season remains to achieve food, stock feed and oilseed self-sufficiency from a total of 3 950 283 hectares output, which were expected to yield a total of 4 928 260 metric tonnes for all crops.
The Minister also briefed that for the 2022/23 farming season, the total area planted under cereals stands at 13 907 hectares for maize, 270 hectares for sorghum and 147 hectares for pearl millet.
Minister Nzenza added that the distribution of cotton inputs was underway, with 540 000 households targeted for support under the Cotton Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme.
Meanwhile, in terms of water supply, Minister Nzenza informed that a total of 368 boreholes have been drilled under the Borehole Drilling Programme across the country.
