Mashonaland East set to make the best out of patch...

Mashonaland East set to make the best out of patchy rainy season with Pfumvudza inputs

**Jeffrey Karikega with his inputs lot**

Takawira Photoveteran Dapi

"We are so thankful to the government for timeously giving us enough Presidential Pfumvudza Agriculture inputs.

"We honestly thank our government because we no longer have famine, our children are going to school and we are really rich rural families from our yearly surplus yields," said Jeffrey Karikega, 64 years old receiving his Presidential inputs lot of maize seed, lime, weed and disease chemicals as well as Compound-D and ammonium nitrate fertilizers.

Karikega says the scheme has gone beyond ensuring household food security to creating some revenue as farmers are harvesting excess grain.

Hwedza North Constituency, farmer Clever Maruta from Maruta village was very happy for his early inputs but he advised the government to quickly deliver the second batch because many had not prepared their land due to extreme hot weather.

He also said that it is encouraging to see many youths flocking back to their rural homes and they be adequately supported with inputs so that they can take farming as viable and attractive careers.

Ward-1 Councillor Forbes Chirara, 52 said the farmers who have invested in early preparation were the one getting the first lot of delivered inputs.

"Many families had already dug their holes for this popular Pfumvudza farming, those who had not yet finished their land preparations are still being encouraged to now finish so that they obviously get their benefits on the next allocation very soon as the second rains are just by the corner," he said.

He said 75 farmers had benefitted in the 18 villages under his ward.

"Kraal Heads also benefitted from these inputs in support of the President' s Zunde Ramambo Agriculture inputs program. Zunde Ramambo traditionally empowers all these traditional leaders with enough food to assist their vulnerable community families, any vulnerable persons like orphans, aged persons, physically challenged, clan visitors or during disaster times, said Chirara.

Mashonaland East Provincial Agritex boss Leonard Munamati said that both the farmers and the government are playing their part to ensure that a good harvest is delivered.

"1200 families managed to have their Pfumvudza Timbaugute holes dug by the time the government started distributing inputs today.

"Inputs available at time of distribution were as follows: 400 bags of Compd-D fertilizer, 400 pockets of Maize seed and 1200 bags of Ammonia Nitrate fertilizer.

"So 400 farmers received all three inputs, thus maize seed, Comp D plus AN, but the remaining 800 farmers have so far received AN only because it was there. Agriculture inputs come in batches, meaning that they yearly dispatch what is available nationally, this means that when seed and Compound-D arrives on the coming batch soon, these 800 farmers will automatically get them first," he said.

"Already Mashonaland East province received close to 100 tonnes of maize seed, close to 462 tonnes of Compound-D fertilizer, 5613 tonnes of top dressing fertilizer and lime 1400 tonnes, 20 tonnes of sorghum to the dry areas.

"These first rains increased the rate of our provincial land preparations.

"Like in the past two weeks, we doubled the Pfumvudza plots being prepared due to these exciting rains.

"Mash East is currently seating on one million prepared Pfumvudza plots already, though our target is 1.5million plots, meaning we are at 67% of our target of completion.

"Our Agritex advice is for our farmers to now quickly windup land their preparation, making sure that each farmer has got a minimum of three plots, so that they will be able to get inputs, because in the next few weeks or days, the rains are coming back for our serious farming journey.

"To those farmers with reliable sources of water, like irrigation facilities, please, start planting your seeds now.

"Please farmers, as already focused, we might receive below normal rainfall, so let us utilise these first rains.

Marondera East and Uzumba Constituencies' legislators, Hon Vimbayi Mutokonyi and Hon Wiriranai Muchemwa said legislators were not allowed to be involved in the distribution of these Presidential Agriculture inputs because they were for every Zimbabwe citizen, irrespective of political inclination.

However, Hon Mutokonyi donated transport to carry inputs from GMBs to wards with no discrimination on political grounds.