The Sunday Mail
Peter Gambara
ALL is set for the start of the 2020/21 summer season as the rains that signal the start of the summer season started falling last week. The Meteorological Services Department (MET Office) has predicted that last week’s rains mean that it is all system go for the summer cropping season.
Farmers are expected to have mobilised their inputs, done their land preparations and be ready to plant.
This year, Government has catered for both smallholder farmers and medium to large scale farmers. It has adopted the Pfumvudza concept for the smallholder sector.
The concept was first mooted by Foundations for Farming (FFF) and agriculture expert Berin Stockill.
After extensive testing of the concepts throughout the country, Government decided to adopt this concept as it sets to address food security both at household and at national level. Once food security has been achieved at smallholder household level, it lessens the burden on Government having to import maize to feed such families.
It is high time we stop the perennial importation of maize from our neighbouring countries by producing enough grain for ourselves.
In African tradition, a family that is always sending a begging bowl for food assistance to neighbours is regarded lowly by other villagers.
The Pfumvudza concept was developed to answer to how much grain was needed to feed an average family.
An average family of five requires a bucket of maize (18-20kg) to survive for a month.
FFF then decided to come up with plot sizes of 16 metres by 39 metres. At inter row spacings of 75cm, the plot produces 52 (39/0,75) lines.
There are 52 weeks in a year and each line of 16 metres, planted at in-raw spacing of 60cm and two plants per station, will produce enough maize to fill a bucket. Therefore, from each plot, a family will have 52 buckets of maize, enough to last a year.
The concept is based on the assumption that farmers will be able to sufficiently work and manage small plots.
The AGRITEX officers are expected to monitor the management of the Pfumvudza plots and will as usual, run competitions in the wards to establish the best managed plots. Field days will be held at those plots that excel better than the rest as part of sharing information on best practices.
The lime and fertiliser application are guided by the use of fertiliser cups, a no. 8 cup for basal fertiliser and a no. 5 for lime and top dressing.
There has been a tendency by farmers to spread their inputs over large areas, thereby under applying fertilisers, and hence achieving very low yields per hectare. The average maize yield in Zimbabwe currently stands at approximately 0,8 tonnes per hectare. With the meticulous use of fertiliser cups, the yield level on the Pfumvudza plots is expected to be much higher.
While the 2020/21 summer season is forecast to be a normal to above normal season, the Pfumvudza concept takes note of the changing climatic conditions that are bringing about drought seasons, the country having experienced three drought seasons since 2014/15.
Farmers are therefore expected to gather mulching material to use on the Pfumvudza plots.
The mulch will help reduce evaporation of the much-needed moisture from the plots. This is the reason the programme has been christened the “Climate Proofed Presidential Input Scheme”.
The plots are dug off-season (during winter and spring time) when farmers have a reduced load on their hands. The well-made planting holes will help capture rain as it falls into the holes.
This will facilitate the germination of planted crops.
The mulch will help suppress the growth of weeds, by depriving them of adequate light.
After adopting the concept, Government then trained its AGRITEX Agricultural Extension Officers (AEOs) and Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) on plot layouts and recommended practices. Each AEW was then given a target on the number of farmers to train in their wards. After training, farmers were tasked with establishing these plots on their lands and invite the AEW to inspect them and have their names recorded for the programme.
Government is set to provide Pfumvudza inputs to over 1,8 million smallholder farmers, who are obliged have prepared their Pfumvudza plots.
Besides providing inputs for the maize plot, Government has since decided to provide enough inputs for farmers to establish three Pfumvudza plots, to include a small grain plot (sorghum, rapoko or cowpeas) and an oilseed plot (soyabean, sunflower or groundnuts).
In addition to meeting their grain requirements, farmers will be able to produce oilseed grain, which forms an important part of their diets. By having three Pfumvudza plots, farmers are expected to rotate the crops so that they do not get a build-up of pests and diseases on any plot.
Farmers or those wishing to buy the Pfumvudza packs for their loved ones can buy the maize Pfumvudza packs in selected hardware shops.
The packs will contain all the fertiliser, seed, lime and fertiliser cups as well as instructions on how to set up the plots.
For the medium to large scale farmers, Government has come up with the CBZ Agro-Yield Scheme (CBZAY), which provides inputs for maize and soyabean in summer. The scheme, which is running for the second year, will contract all returning farmers, provided they have cleared their previous loans with the bank.
New farmers wishing to be contracted under the CBZ Agro-Yield scheme are expected to approach their AGRITEX offices for recommendations, and be cleared by GMB to ensure that they do not owe any monies from previous schemes.
They are expected to open a CBZ account and have copies of their National Identity document and proof of residence. Once these conditions are fulfilled, applicants are then asked to complete a CBZAY Facility application form, which will be expedited by the relevant CBZ office. If successful, farmers should get their e-vouchers within 48 hours, notifying them where to collect their inputs.
CBAY has set up two separate offices to handle farmers’ contracts.
Those farmers seeking to be contracted for 50 hectares and above, are expected to be served at the CBZ Beverly Court, while those seeking to be contracted for 49ha or less are to be served at their Selous Branch.
Whatever the case, farmers are expected to be geared up for a season, forecast to be normal to above normal.
Once the rains start falling, they sometimes tend to fall continuously, without giving farmers time to plant or weed their crops. Farmers are therefore encouraged to adequately plan their work so that they do not fail to plant their intended crops on time.
Before you know it, the planting season will be over. It is not a secret that early planted crops stand a better chance to reach maturity and they have a longer growing period, hence they are more likely to yield higher.
Peter Gambara is an Agricultural Economist and Consultant based in Harare. He previously worked as a Principal AGRITEX officer.
