‘Include small grains in Command Agric’
FOLLOWING the resounding success of Command Agriculture, Manicaland province wants to expand the programme’s scope to include small grains, as a way of covering districts that fall under Natural Region V, where arid conditions do not support maize production.
Manicaland provincial administrator, Mr Edgar Seenza told The Herald that Command Agriculture had vastly improved maize yields in the province and boosted food security.
He said there was need to make sure farmers in drought prone districts were catered for going into the future, by including small grains in the programme.
“Command Agriculture has greatly changed the complexion of agricultural productivity in the province and as you are aware, there is no one facing food insecurity,” said Mr Seenza.
“There were abundant rains last season, which augured well with Government’s plans to steer the country out of the murky waters of food insecurity and return to its breadbasket of Africa status.
“The province will now build on the success of the first Command Agriculture programme to roll out more successful editions of the programme to ensure that we do not reverse the successes of our debut outing.”
Mr Seenza said the province’s successful roll out of the programme was due to the close collaboration of the partners.
“The Command Agriculture committee worked harmoniously with all the other stakeholders involved in the programme and that was their recipe for success,” he said.
“That is what we want to see happening going into the future, especially that we now want to broaden our focus to more activities.”
Maize deliveries to the Mutare Grain Marketing Board (GMB) hit 39 000 tonnes in August, with more grain still expected to come, as many farmers were reportedly still shelling maize after harvesting was delayed by the incessant rains that characterised the 2016 /17 farming season.
Government has since expanded the list of crops to be produced under Command Agriculture to include soya bean, wheat, sorghum, tobacco and sugar beans.
The programme has also been expanded to cover livestock.
Just recently, Manicaland province launched its first command water harvesting programme in Buhera district, which happens to be one of the dry regions.