Zim poised for record maize harvest

Harare, (New Ziana) – Maize output for the 2020/21 cropping season is expected to reach a record 2.8 million tons, triple the amount achieved in the previous season, President Emerson Mnangagwa has said.

Successive droughts have weighed down crop production in recent years, but this has changed due to good rains and the introduction of conservation agriculture, popularly known as Pfumvudza/Intwasa.

The good cropping season has also been attributed to early distribution of inputs, especially under the Presidential Inputs program, training of farmers, capacitation of extension workers and robust monitoring and evaluation as dictated by the Agricultural Recovery Plan.

“In 2019/2020, Zimbabwe had a maize harvest of 908 thousand tonnes. This year, the maize harvest is predicted to triple to 2.8 million tons- a record harvest post land reform,” President Mnangagwa tweeted.

By early January, farmers had planted 1.4 million hectares of maize, representing a 137 percent rise in the area planted compared to the same period last year.

On top of ensuring food security, the good harvest will also assist the country save much needed foreign country through import substitution.

President Mnangagwa re-assured Zimbabweans that the country was taking the right steps towards recovery.

“Zimbabweans, do not let the doubters dampen your spirit. Our country is on the path to prosperity,” he said.
New Ziana