Harare, (New Ziana) –The Zimbabwe government will announce the pre-planting season price for cotton together with other crops this month, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere has said.
Pre-planting prices are an incentive to motivate farmers and assist them in choosing crops to grow for the season based on possible returns and other benefits.
Briefing the media post the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Dr Muswere said other pre-planting prices to be announced before the end of this month include for maize, traditional grains and sunflower.
He said Cabinet took the decision after a briefing from Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka on the 2024/2025 Summer Crops Production Plan that was first approved in June this year.
“The meteorological forecast has predicted a good rainfall season, with normal to above-normal rains. To further aid farmers in planning for the season, government issues planning, pre-planting and marketing crop prices at appropriate periods of the season,” said Dr Muswere.
“The Summer Plan aims to increase cereal production to 3 274 200 metric tonnes. Overall production volumes of the major crops are expected to increase to 4 093 700 metric tonnes.”
He said 5.9 million plots (translating to 63 percent of the target) have been prepared under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Presidential Agriculture Climate Proofing Input Support Scheme by 64 percent of the targeted farmers while technical teams have been dispatched to the provinces to expedite plot preparation.
“To date, over 40 000mt of basal fertilizer out of the targeted 90 000mt are now at GMB depots ahead of the 2024/2025 Summer Planting Season launch in Buhera tomorrow (Wednesday)” he said.
“Meanwhile, contracting of farmers under the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme (NEAPS) is ongoing. A total of 52 500 hectares is targeted to be contracted to produce 256 000mt of maize,
traditional grains, soyabeans and sunflower.”
The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) will contract 100 000ha aimed at producing 390 000mt of maize and 112 000mt of sorghum while the private sector, which is mandated to ensure that at least 40 percent of its annual raw material requirements are met from value chain financing of farmers, has set a target of 95 046ha under maize,
soyabean, sorghum, potatoes, sugar bean and sunflower. In addition, some farmers are expected to self-finance various crops and access inputs on the open market.
“Pertaining to tobacco, a total of 107 836 growers have registered fort he 2024/2025 season. The area planted under irrigated tobacco is 20 percent above that recorded last year, while seed sales are 37 percent higher,” Dr Muswere said.
“Cabinet highlights that the 21 enablers being tracked under a “Whole of
Government” and “Whole of Sector” approach for the successful Implementation of the Summer Plan are finance, irrigation, mechanisation, water, seed, fertiliser, chemicals, power, fuel, pests and diseases, markets, farmer payments, capacity building, insurance, policy and regulations, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, land issues, infrastructure, security, and disaster risk management.”
New Ziana