Farmers receive farming inputs, as new cattle auction is launched

25 Sep, 2022 - 00:09 0 Views
Farmers receive farming inputs, as new cattle auction is launched

The Sunday News

Judith Phiri, Business Reporter 

MORE than three million farmers who have registered for the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme have started receiving farming inputs amid revelations that Government has stepped up efforts to capacitate the local fertiliser manufacturing industry to ensure a smooth start to the 2022/23 summer cropping season. 

The Government is training another 1,5 million farmers in the climate-proofed agricultural model. The Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa is targeting three million farmers on small-scale farms with up to five plots each, plus 500 000 urban farmers on smaller plots with one plot each. The Government is going all out to ensure availability of 1 176 000 tonnes fertiliser required for the 1 940 969 million hectares expected to be put under crops. 

President Mnangagwa

So far it has distributed 28 000 tonnes of basal fertiliser out of 150 000 tonnes to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots for the 2022/23 summer cropping season under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa. 

Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services Chief Director Professor Obert Jiri hinted that all inputs under the Presidential Input Scheme were being transported to all GMB depots throughout the county ahead of the 2022/23 summer cropping season for possible distribution starting this week.

“We have started moving inputs to GMB depots around the country. It is a continuous process and we are ready to supply our farmers right up to ward level. In terms of fertiliser, we have so far distributed 28 000 tonnes out of the 150 000 tonnes in our stock,” he said.

Under the programme, each farming household will get an input package comprising 10kg maize seed, 5kg sorghum, 2kg pearl millet, 5kg soya beans, 2kg sunflower/castor beans (castor bean will be inter-cropped in the Intwasa crops) and 5kg sugar beans or 5kg cowpeas or groundnuts. The seed types and varieties will depend on the farming region. 

Meanwhile, unscrupulous cattle buyers will soon be out of business after the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) on Thursday launched the Communal Cattle Auction Sales programme, as Government steps up efforts to ensure effective marketing of livestock to uplift communal livelihoods.

Grain Marketing Board

Under the programme, AMA will facilitate holding of such cattle auctions every month in different districts around the country. Of late, unregistered cattle buyers have been fingered for fleecing farmers through underpayment, fuelling cattle theft and failing to pay farmers on time. In line with the Livestock Growth and Recovery Plan under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), AMA seeks to make cattle rearing a profitable subsector by setting up a well-coordinated, transparent and competitive bidding auction platform where buyers can offer reasonable prices to farmers.

The inaugural auction, launched in Insiza had several buyers, qualified meat graders and registered auctioneers. Speaking at the launch, Agriculture and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) Chief Director Professor Obert Jiri said unscrupulous cattle buyers have been short-changing farmers. A total of 123 beasts were on offer at the inaugural Communal Cattle Auction Sale, with 78 bought. The highest priced beasts were sold at over US$600 each and one farmer Mr Nayaison Masvasvi (85) pocketed close to US$2 000 for his three cattle.

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