Patience Muchemwa
Despite low rainfall predicted by the Meteorological Services Department due to the El Nino effect across the Africa region, the Government remains hopeful of improved crop production in the 2023/24 farming season.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr John Basera said Zimbabwe can aim higher through climate-proofing agriculture: “We should aim higher in crop production this season because we can climate-proof our agriculture.
“Pfumvudza is the way to go.”
Dr John Basera recommends farmers to fully embrace Pfumvudza in order to realise high yields and improve food security.
“I recommend farmers to take up this training. Pfumvudza is the only way to go in terms of ensuring food security and sustainability. “The increase in farmers’ participation is a great sign which symbolises that the nation will be self-sufficient in terms of food crops,” he said.
In the 2020/21 farming season, the Pfumvudza programme contributed 43% of total maize production and 35% of the maize total output in the 2021/2022 season, which was affected by a mid-season dry spell.
Some X users were in support of the programme while and some flatly dismissed it.
@leemusoni said, “I strongly believe we can do better than pfumbvudza at this time and age. Was there any scientific research done to support the point that pfumvudza is the only way to ensure food security & sustainability. We really need to engage our minds more scientific and economic.”
@travis_bakasa said, “Mechanisation for small scale farmers and reasonable producer prices is the way to go”
@anmunyama: “I agree”
Pfumvudza increases resilience against climate change-induced drought impacts and improves yields.
Pfumvudza is a crop production intensification approach under which farmers ensure use of available resources on a small area of land in order to optimise its management. Pfumvudza involves precision planting at the proper time, crop rotation and deep mulching to retain moisture and keep weeds down.
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