410 000ha for Command Agric

Farmers benefiting under the special programme for import substitution, Command Agriculture are expected to put 410 000 hectares under food crops during the forthcoming summer cropping season.

Command Agriculture is a cost recovery agriculture scheme introduced by Government to substitute importation of maize.

It targets both A1 and A2 farmers, as well as Government institutional farms, particularly those near water bodies.

Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr John Basera, last week told The Herald that this season, Command Agriculture was being spearheaded by local banks, CBZ, Agribank, Stanbic and the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank.

“This year, we are targeting 80 000 hectares of irrigated maize, and 210 hectares under dryland, 60 000ha of soyabean 10 000ha sunflower and 50 000 sorghum under Command Agriculture,” he said.

“Seed suppliers have indicated that they have enough seed and efforts are underway to source more fertiliser, crop chemicals and this is done by financial institutions as dictated in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme that the private sector and banks will be crowded in to support Command Agriculture.”

Dr Basera said crop chemicals will ring fence fuel for the Command Agriculture programme, while Agritex will do the registration of farmers.–herald