The Sunday News
Harare Bureau
MAIZE production for the forthcoming 2021/22 summer cropping season is projected to hit three million tonnes, an all-time record high, up by nearly a million tonnes compared to last season’s bumper harvest.
Preparations for the summer cropping season have commenced in earnest with Government planning to expand the Presidential Input Scheme to cover 2,3 million households up from 1,8 million that benefited from the programme last year.
Distribution of inputs under the scheme will target households registered under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa conservation agriculture programme.
This year the Pfumvudza programme will support production on five plots per household up from three last season. Further, under the National Enhanced Agriculture Productivity Scheme (NEAPS), also known as Command Agriculture, the Agricultural Finance Company (AFC) Holdings, formerly Agribank, and CBZ Bank will support 5 000 highly productive farmers through loans backed by Government performance guarantees. To fund production, AFC together with the Agricultural Marketing Authority will raise $20 billion through Agro Bills.
Over 280 000 hectares of land will be put under maize through the Presidential support scheme, which targets production of around 1,48 million tonnes of the staple grain. In addition, under the NEAPS, 290 000ha will be put under maize with a projected harvest of 1,45 million tonnes. The outstanding tonnage will be covered by privately funded production.
According to the State of Preparedness Report tabled in Cabinet recently by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka, said Government wants to increase crop production to meet and surpass the national requirements for both human consumption and industrial use.
“The summer cropping programme will be funded through public, private, development partners’ support and public private partnership arrangements,” the report reads in part.
“Government will finance Presidential crop and livestock input schemes through Treasury and provide Government guarantees for Government programmes funded through AFC and CBZ.
“The crops outside the Government-funded programmes will get support from private contractors, farmers’ own resources and development partners.”
Government, according to the report, will expand support programmes to A1 and communal farmers.
