Harare Metropolitan province targets a 3% contribution to the national grain harvest under the Pfumvudza programme in the coming season.
Last year, Harare contributed 1% to the national output through urban farming, according to Tafadzwa Muguti, Provincial Development Coordinator for Harare Metropolitan Provincial.
The province’s Pfumvudza programme will be launched Tuesday in Epworth.
“The inputs which include maize seed and fertiliser will be given to all registered farmers. After the launch distribution shall continue at the designated venues led by the provincial Agritex officer and the Grain Marketing Board,” said Muguti.
Pfumvudza is a crop production intensification approach under which farmers ensure the efficient use of resources (inputs and labour) on a small area of land in order to optimize its management.
It is a season of producing more on less land and with less resources; a season of climate proofing our agriculture through the adoption of Conservation Agriculture.
The concept has been successful in helping farmers to produce grains including maize, sorghum and millet, while it also encourages the rotation of legumes such as beans, ground nuts or cowpeas.
The government’s objective is to climate proof the agricultural production of smallholder farmers (who make up 80% of farmers in Zimbabwe) and ensure food self-sufficiency for the nation.
Muguti warned unscrupulous farmer who sell inputs instead of farming.
“This year those who collect inputs and do not farm but instead sell the inputs face arrest. The province will conduct random inspections on input beneficiaries,” he added.
Corruption watchdog, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ZACC) has also issued a warning to teams tasked with distribution of the inputs to shun corruption
In a statement, ZACC said some unscrupulous leaders tasked with distributing the inputs are engaging in nefarious activities meant to derail the exercise.
“The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has received an overwhelming number of reports from farmers across Zimbabwe complaining about the unprofessional way community leaders are distributing inputs for the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme. During the week, ZACC received a very high number of reports on its various reporting platforms, including Twitter, Whatsapp and SMS, from people reporting that there are irregularities in the distribution of the inputs,” ZACC said in a statement.
After the launch at Epworth High School, distribution will continue at Hatcliffe 1 primary school and Glen View primary on Wednesday, before moving to Zengeza 1 High and Kuwadzana 2 High Friday.
On Monday distribution will be conducted at Hopely Clinic and TC Hardy High on Tuesday.
