The Sunday Mail
Following the resounding success of the special maize production programme known as Command Agriculture this summer season, challenges remain on how it can be sustained over the coming years.
While Zimbabwe is set to record a bumper harvest this season, experts are calling on Government to put in place sustainable measures to ensure that Command Agriculture can produce results over the coming years.
Initially the programme was meant to be dependent on irrigation-fed agriculture but this season above normal rain have ensured that the programme is a success in its maiden season.
According to Government assessments, there are indications the target might be surpassed by over a million tonnes.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Peace and Security recently, Dr Joseph Made — who is the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development — said in its maiden season, Command Agriculture was a success with excellent crops expected .
Dr Made said the success has prompted Government to include other crops such as soya beans, potatoes and even livestock, a move that is set to revamp the country’s agriculture sector and reclaim its position in Southern Africa.
Although Zimbabwe has registered a good agricultural season in 2016/2017, it is important to note the increasingly changing weather patterns around the world. Climate change in Zimbabwe has already increased variability of rainfall, intensity and frequency of extreme weather patterns like drought, floods and storms. Renowned agriculturist Professor Sheunesu Mpepereki says it is time for concentrated efforts from all sectors for the programme to succeed.
“We are farming and getting little yields in most seasons because we do not plan for our irrigation adequately,” he said. “We need to invest in equipment, mostly irrigation equipment and prepare for the seasons to come. We need to focus on water harvesting as well. We need to take this issue seriously if we want our Agriculture sector to thrive.
“Government cannot do this alone, other sectors such as banks should come in with financial assistance, while the Ministry of Industry and the private sector avail markets. Institutions such as universities should help with researches as well as providing knowledge.”
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, about 1,2 million hectares of maize were planted in the current cropping season as compared to 773 000 hectares the previous season.
In addition, sorghum is under 188 000ha, compared to 86 000ha the previous year; cotton is 155 000ha compared to 105 000ha in 2016; and tobacco stands at 147 000ha against 94 000ha in the last season.
It is important to note that most of these crops were planted on dry land with only 71 840ha under irrigation country-wide under Command Agriculture.
Under the irrigation facility, farmers near water bodies with the capacity to put a minimum of 200 hectares under maize, were set to get loans in the form of irrigation equipment, inputs, chemicals and mechanised equipment.
About 400 000 hectares were set aside under the scheme and were set to be supported by irrigation. The country has a total of 220 000 hectares of irrigation capacity, of which 153 000 hectares are under functional irrigation.
This is largely due to the many challenges facing the sector, including inadequate infrastructure such as dams for water harvesting, funding or investment by both the Government and private sector.
While Government is working on a number in initiatives for this, it is critical to expedite the initiatives, so as to mitigate climate change effects.
One such major project is the completion of Tokwe-Mukosi Dam with a capacity of 1,8 billion cubic metres of water and capacity to irrigate 25 000ha.
