The Sunday Mail
Theseus Shambare
MORE than three million farmers have completed training in Pfumvudza/Intwasa conservation agriculture, while around two million plots have been prepared for planting ahead of commencement of the 2023-2024 summer cropping season.
The Government plans to train at least 3,5 million smallholder farmers by the end of this month to ensure crops are planted in time when the rainy season begins.
Inputs such as seed and fertiliser have now been stockpiled at Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots countrywide ahead of delivery to beneficiaries.
Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services director for training and information Mr Sibangilizwe Dlodlo said the training of farmers was progressing well.
“According to our weather experts, the 2023-2024 summer cropping season will be affected by the El Niño weather phenomenon, threatening our food production.
“This calls for us to climate-proof our agriculture. Failure is never part of our vocabulary or DNA.
“At least 3 132 322 farmers have been trained on climate-proofing production under the Pfumvudza programme,” said Mr Dlodlo.
“A total of 1 711 313 plots have been prepared, translating to 116 972 hectares.”
Climate-proofing production, he said, was key to ensuring a successful cropping season.
“The training covered technical aspects of Pfumvudza/Intwasa.
“The concept is hinged on three principles: crop rotation, mulching and minimum tillage. These concepts aim to boost yields and increase resilience to the negative impacts of climate change.”
Mr Dlodlo said the overwhelming interest in Pfumvudza had prompted Government to increase the number of beneficiaries from 2,3 million households in the 2021-2022 season to the current 3,5 million households.
“Farmers have been very co-operative,” he said.
“According to the 2023 ZimVAC (Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee) report, 47 percent of our farmers had taken up the Pfumvudza/Intwasa concept or technology only two years into its inception.
“This motivated us to raise the mobilisation bar even higher, so we went on a Pfumvudza/Intwasa mobilisation and training blitz in preparation for the 2023-2024 summer season.”
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Dr Shadreck Makombe welcomed the expansive mobilisation drive.
“With the El Niño phenomenon upon us, farmers need to have enough time to prepare their land for Pfumvudza, knowing they have inputs in place,” he said.
“However, we also urge farmers to practise rainwater harvesting throughout the season for any probable mid-season dry spell so that they can irrigate their crops since they are small plots, which are manageable.”
To ensure transparent and corruption-free input distribution, Government has set up a committee in every ward to ensure intended beneficiaries receive inputs on time.
Farmers who spoke to The Sunday Mail said they have embraced Pfumvudza to mitigate the effects of El Niño.
“I got the training from our ward extension officers,” said Mrs Tamari Bizure-Kupfuma, a farmer under Chief Nenguwo in Marondera, Mashonaland East province, last week.
“Initially, I was hesitant to join, but after seeing how the method helped some of my fellow villagers get better yields last season, I decided to consider the programme.
“I am currently preparing my plots to benefit from the scheme.”
The Government has since adopted a new seed distribution method based on agro-ecological regions.
Farmers in drier regions — 4 and 5 — will receive drought-tolerant traditional grains seed, while those in region 3 will get seed for small grains and maize.
Farmers in high-potential areas such as regions 1 and 2 will be receiving high-yielding maize varieties and traditional grains, in addition to soya bean and sugar bean seed.
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