Midlands targets 400k tonnes of maize

Midlands Province is targeting to harvest 400 000 tonnes of maize this season due to the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, which is aimed at boosting agricultural production as well as guaranteeing national food self-sufficiency.

Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Larry Mavhima said the development will help to alleviate hunger in different parts of the province and boost productivity.

“We are estimating that at least we can get over 400 000 metric tonnes of maize in our province and I want to thank all those who were supporting pfumvudza programme.

We are also sure that the food is enough for the province and we can also supply to other parts of the country because other places were affected by the heavy rains,”he said.

Under Pfumvudza farmers will not need vast tracts of land to be food sufficient. They will also be encouraged to practise crop rotation to maintain the soil productive

Minister Mavhima said although crops in some districts were affected by heavy rains, he is optimistic that the yield will be enough for everyone in the province.

Most districts in the country performed well in the 2020/2021 farming season due to rains received this season.

Pfumvudza promotes conservation farming techniques and involves use of small plots on smallholder farms and applying the correct agronomic practices for higher returns.

The farming concept was meant to benefit everyone as the Government seeks to empower the majority of people.

It targeted 1,8 million households with a target of 1,8 million tonnes of cereal and 360 000 tonnes of oil seed.

Farmers are expected to plant three different crops that include cereals, oil seed and cash crops.

So far, over three million people have been trained under the Pfumvudza programme.

To support the Government’s initiative, stakeholders such as Food Agricultural Oganisation (FAO), the World Bank and Women in Agriculture endorsed the Pfumvudza farming concept as a noble idea that would result in increased agricultural productivity and ensure food security and nutrition in the country.-heraldc.zw