EVERY urban household with farming space is assured of benefiting from the
Presidential inputs scheme through the urban transient cultivation, says the Minister
of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka.
Speaking during the official opening of the Masvingo Agricultural Show last
weekend, Dr Masuka said the Government through the Presidential Climate-proofed
Input Scheme has the intensive conservation agriculture scheme to climate-proof
production.
Starting this year, every urban household will receive seed according to the agro-
ecological zone, fertilisers and herbicides.
“We have the Presidential Climate proofed Input Scheme (Pfumvudza/Intwasa)
which we give to all the 3 million beneficiaries in the rural communities, and starting
this year every urban household that has somewhere to plant a crop through what
we call urban transient cultivation, will be able to get inputs from the Government for
free.”
He urged the farmers to start working on their plots for them to access the
Government inputs.
“All urban households including those here in Masvingo, if you have a plot, you will
be able to get from the Presidential input scheme maize or traditional grain seed
depending on the agro-ecological zone and also get fertilisers and herbicides so that
you can produce for your families.”
“Only those families that have done Pfumvudza will be able to get inputs, so you
must start now with your Agritex officers to do the three plots if you are in rural areas,
one plot if you are in urban areas so that inspection can take place before the 31st of
October so that you can get these inputs,” he said.
Dr Masuka said through the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy
they have created an enabling policy environment for more investment.
The sector is now aiming to establish a US$13,75 billion economy by 2025 up from
the initially projected US$8,2 billion, which by December last year had achieved
aUS$9,9 billion sector.