AROUND 470 000 farmers from across Mashonaland Central Province, who registered under
the climate-proofed Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme for the 2021-22 season have started
receiving inputs.
The number of beneficiaries exceeded with a significant 70 000 farmers than the targeted 400
000 at the beginning of the season.
Mr. Bernard Torevasei, a senior provincial agronomist in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture,
Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, said the registered farmers had received some of
the inputs while the outstanding will be availed soon.
“A total number of 71 693 households have received maize seeds, 29 870 basal fertiliser, 14
390 top dressing, 2 508 pesticides, 4 500 knapsacks and 16 368 nutrition garden packs,” said
Torevasei.
Preparations for the 2022/23 agricultural season were at advanced stage
“We have started to distribute Pfumvudza farming inputs to farmers and so far our province
has received 927,95 tonnes of maize seed, 6013,15t of basal fertiliser bags, 1212,15 tonnes of
top dressing, 4500 knapsacks and 50 percent nutritional garden packs
“A total of 309 779 have already prepared their plots and while a significant 21 022 farmers
have already applied lime in holes, and another significant number of 76 644 put mulch and
we are still encouraging then chin-up putting mulch.
“If the province receives good rains, the programme will boost Mashonaland
Central’s food sufficiency levels and food security as thousands of farmers have already
prepared their plots. About 15 000 farmers prepared five plots, 12 000/four plots, 82
000/three plots, 88 000/two plots and 131 000 prepared one plot,” said Torevasei.
During the past years, most of the people in Zimbabwe could not afford to buy inputs at the
beginning of each agricultural season and this affected their yields, but with Pfumvudza the
problem of lack of skills and knowledge base of farmers, shortage of inputs and limited
security of tenure will be a thing of the past.
The province had 28 000 farmers registered for the same programme last season.