Staff Reporter
The government has introduced additional measures to enhance crop production.
Speaking during the 21st post cabinet brief yesterday, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa affirmed that the Government had put in place additional measures to enhance crop production.
“Cabinet wishes to advise that the following additional measures that have also been put in place to enhance production. These are; enhanced climate-proofing through expanded moisture enhancer demonstrations, alignment of crops grown with agro-ecological regions, grains swaps whereby the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) will continue to promote traditional grains production in regions 4 and 5 and providing weather-indexed and Area/Yield insurance for smallholder farmers under the Pfumvudza Programme,” said Mutsvangwa.
Minister Mutsvangwa highlighted that the additional measures also included Vision 2030 Agricultural Livelihoods Tracker (VALT) that would track the upliftment of households and livelihoods through agricultural and rural development program.
She mentioned that with the financial support from the African Development Bank in the 2023/2024 season, Government would increase the percentage of traditional grains seed availability by ensuring that ARDA and GMB package traditional grains as seed for the 2023/2024 season.
She further suggested the incentives to encourage farmers to grow traditional grains.
“Furthermore, in order to incentivize production of traditional grains, Government will do the following; announce planning prices and marketing in August annually, and empower farmers from 460 irrigation schemes by availing Presidential Inputs in time,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
Furthermore, Government intends to focus more on Rural Development by accelerating Borehole Drilling and pushing through the establishment of Village Business Units and veld management.
