The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT is targeting 4 000 hectares for winter maize production mainly targeting low lying areas in the country.
This comes after the country has set a target of 85 000 hectares under irrigated winter wheat this season, with an expected national harvest forecast of above 400 000 tonnes.
Presenting resolutions of the 23rd Cabinet matrix on Tuesday, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Cde Monica Mutsvangwa noted that the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Perrance Shiri said this year the winter maize would be targeted in Masvingo, Matebeleland North and Mashonaland West.
Minister Shiri is also the deputy chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on Food Security and Nutrition.
“Cabinet considered and approved the 2020 Winter Maize Production Programme, which was presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement,
“The Programme is targeting to put 4 000 hectares under winter maize in Zimbabwe’s low-lying areas of Masvingo, Matebeleland North and Mashonaland West. A cost-benefit analysis of the Programme reveals that it will result in substantial savings in comparison to importing the same amount of maize,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She revealed that other benefits of the winter maize programme include, the maximization of land use; ensuring food supply sufficiency as most countries are not likely to export due to the COVID 19 pandemic; employment creation for locals along the whole value chain of maize production and reduction of the burden of support on treasury since the programme is run on a cost-recovery basis.
Mr Mutsvangwa also revealed that Minister Shiri presented a report on Phase one of the Comprehensive National Agricultural Land Audit, which was adopted by Cabinet.
Some of the key resolutions made relating to the audit report was that abandoned and vacant land units will be re-allocated to deserving applicants.
“255 abandoned land units and 112 vacant land units will be re-allocated to deserving applicants; 24 farms under multiple farm ownership will be withdrawn and re-allocated to deserving applicants.
“Further, the 71 identified farms exceeding the maximum gazetted sizes will be downsized and measures are being put in place to safe guard production thereof. Allocation of land will be in line with the gazetted policy quotas with respect to war veterans, women, youths and people living with disabilities,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
Phase one of the land audit covered 18 646 land units, representing six percent of the estimated 300 000 total land units to be audited.
