By Archford Chirimudombo
MARONDERA- The department of agricultural engineering, mechanisation and soil conservation in Mashonaland East has been capacitated with three tractors, each with a disc plough, to construct contours and carry out conservation works in farming communities to curb soil erosion.
The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Dr Aplonia Munzverengwi disclosed this in a speech read on her behalf by Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services (AARDS) provincial acting director Leonard Munamati at the recent launch of the soil and water conservation blitz programme at Nyakudya Village in Goromonzi district.
She said the department, which has been instrumental in conserving important resource in agriculture, is a strong arm of the success story of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
“I would like to thank President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa, through this department, for prioritising the protection of soil from erosion and maintain its productivity capacity. A conserved soil is the basis of our food security. The economy of this province is agrarian and therefore, it is imperative to make soil the backbone of our agriculture.
“For this to manifest well, the Government has also capacitated the soil conservation engineers, specialists and technicians with skills and knowledge on conservation works,” Dr Munzverengwi said.
The soil and water conservation programme, she added, is being implemented countrywide and is in sync with the Climate Smart Agriculture context whose aim is to increase productivity.
She said: “This programme is targeting the whole nation, leaving no one behind and no land unprotected. Soil erosion is predicted to render many of the fields useless within the next fifteen years. If not protected and conserved, this means our economy will be affected directly through extreme reduction of production and productivity.
“Moreover, it is of prime importance to use this equipment correctly for the purpose of enhancing sustainable land management practice to benefit the future generation.”
In line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS-1), the country’s agriculture and food system transformation strategy seeks to achieve an $8.5 billion agriculture economy by 2025.
Farmers were also urged to apply the Pfumvudza farming principle in ways recommended to boost the country’s food security as this will help the country to achieve Vision 2030.
“The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development is encouraging farmers to practice conservation agriculture, popularly known as Pfumvudza. I would like to encourage everyone to follow the Pfumvudza principles religiously so that we not only conserve the soil, but also increase our yields on small pieces of land.
“Let us collectively work towards the success of our country. Soil and water conservation shall contribute immensely to agriculture industrialization and rural development. This will result in the attainment of an upper middle income economy by 2030,” she said.
