Harare (New Ziana) – A preliminary crop assessment countrywide has indicated good prospects for a bountiful harvest, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.
Addressing a post Cabinet media briefing, Mutsvangwa said the positive assessment result was on the back of good, consistent rains the country had received since the start of the summer farming season in November last year.
“Cabinet wishes to inform the public that the results of the first crop assessment are pointing to the realization of a successful crop production season,” she said.
Mutsvangwa also attributed the good season to President Mnangagwa’s ‘focused pursuit of the set goals of attaining national food self-sufficiency.’ This was done through various government funded programmes such as the presidential farm Inputs Support Scheme, targeting smallholder farmers under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme and enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme, which provides support for large-scale farmers among others.
“The success of the 2022/2023 season was due to timeous distribution of inputs in particular basal fertilizers, while the distribution of top dressing is ongoing,” she said.
Mutsvangwa said the area planted under maize increased by three percent from 1 903 668 hectares in the 2021/2022 season to 1 962 576 hectares during the 2022/2023 season.
“Cabinet notes that the area planted is the highest since 2010,” she said.
New Ziana
