The Sunday Mail
Online Reporter
AFC Bank and CBZ Bank will support over 225 000 hectares of crop production under the National Enhanced Agriculture Productivity Scheme (NEAPS) for the 2022/2023 summer cropping season.
This was confirmed by Professor Obert Jiri, the chief director of the Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, in a recent interview.
“On food security, we are focusing on maize and the small grains; on feed security, we are focusing on soya bean, and for oil security, we are talking of cotton and sunflower; these are our strategic crops and main focus,” said Prof Jiri.
“AFC and CBZ are the institutions that run Command Agriculture, which we now call National Enhanced Agriculture Productivity Scheme.
“CBZ aims to put 150 000 hectares under maize and 20 000 hectares of soya beans, while AFC intends to do 55 000 hectares maize.
“They are both bullish in terms of surpassing those targets, as they have not indicated intentions to reduce the target.”
