The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure Farming Reporter
MANICALAND has started receiving its allocation of inputs for farmers whose contracts have passed the test under the Command Agriculture programme.The first batch of 1 500 farmers whose contracts have been approved are set to get inputs upon delivery at Grain Marketing Board depots in their respective districts.
They will get chemicals, fertilisers and seed maize optimised for the climates of one’s respective region which they will pay back by giving Government five tonnes per hectare and retain any surplus.
This scheme seeks to improve maize production and enhance food security to cover the harsh periods between harvests.
The Command Agriculture provincial task force was this week seized with papers work, approving and dispatching contract forms, fuel allocations.
Agritex officer for Manicaland, Mr Godfrey Mamhare, said the province was anticipating more inputs and approval of more applicants before the end of the week.
Mr Mamhare said 1 500 farmers — with a combined 12 548 hectares — had their contracts approved.
Of these, 539 farmers with a cumulative 6 448.2ha have been contracted to produce maize under irrigation, while 889 farmers with a total of 6 099.6ha will grow maize under dryland.
About 24 294ha were registered under dryland and 16 033 under irrigation, which is still a far cry from the 65 000ha targeted by the province.
More than 25 000 farmers in the province’s natural regions one, two and three have expressed interest to produce maize under the $500m scheme revered for its ability to unlock the country’s potential to produce enough food to fill strategic grain reserves and surplus for export.
Mr Mamhare said GMB depots in Chipinge, Makoni and Mutare had received 30 tonnes of seed maize respectively.
GMB Mutare and Chipinge have also received 30t of lime each. Except for Makoni, Mr Mamhare said, little has been done in terms of land preparations by farmers contracted to produce maize under irrigation.
About 1 342ha have been ploughed out of 2173ha in Makoni followed by 192ha out of 990ha in Chipinge.
No land preparation has been done in Buhera (two hectares), Chimanimani (63ha), Mutare (1 777.5ha), Mutasa (439ha), Nyanga (247ha).
This is despite warning of early rains by the Meteorological Services Department.
The Meteorological Services Department has forecasted normal to above normal rains across the country this season, with significant rains expected as early as mid-October.
Only 93ha have been planted to date under irrigation.
The majority of the farmers, one in Buhera, 15 in Chimanimani, 30 in Chipinge, 64 in Makoni, 249 in Mutare, 116 in Mutasa and 49 in Nyanga registered under the irrigation category require tillage assistance in the form of tractors and fuel.
Only 829ha out of 6099ha earmarked for dryland maize production have been tilled and all the 889 farmers also require tillage assistance.
Under this category, only three farmers in Buhera, 101 in Chimanimani, 242 in Chipinge, 249 in Makoni, 178 in Mutare, 54 in Mutasa and 61 in Nyanga had their contracts approved.
Those farmers who have used personal resources to prepare their land and plant are demanding reimbursements.
Last season, the province put 240 000 hectares under maize, but the staple crop succumbed to the El Nino-induced drought before reaching maturity.
Zimbabwe’s agriculture is currently facing serious challenges of productivity.
In recent years, productivity declined drastically due to successive droughts which resulted in the country failing to feed itself.
More contract forms are expected to be distributed next week.
