340 000 ha for Command cropping programme
GOVERNMENT is targeting to put 340 000 hectares of crops under Command Agriculture during the 2020/21 summer cropping season as beneficiaries of the Presidential Inputs Scheme are now expected to contribute towards the strategic grain reserve.
This is an increase from the 124 872 hectares that were put under maize and soya beans under the special import substitution programme.
Of this hectarage, 113 365 was put under maize and 11 507 hectares was put to soya beans.
For this coming cropping season, Government is targeting the 150 000 hectares under dryland maize, 80 000 hectares irrigated maize, 50 000 hectares (traditional grains) and 60 000 hectares for soyabeans.
This came out on Thursday when Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube presented the 2020 MidTerm Budget and Economic Review.
Minister Ncube said that preparations for the 20202/21 summer cropping season had begun and were being guided by the Agricultural Recovery Plan.
The recovery plan seeks to reverse the negative production trends, attain self-sufficiency and allow the country to move away from the perpetual importation of these strategic commodities.
This will enable the agriculture sector to occupy its rightful position in steering the country towards attainment of Vision 2030.
According to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, the recovery plan is an extract of the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy, which seeks to achieve over US$8 billion Gross Agriculture Production Value by 2023.
Minister Ncube said the agriculture recovery plan prioritises productivity through interventions centred on mechanisation, irrigation, soil conditioning, extension services and appropriate and timely financing.
“In preparations for the 2020/21 summer cropping programme, Government is mobilising resources to finance farming inputs for the vulnerable households.
“For the Command Agriculture Programme, for the 2020/21 summer cropping programme, Government is continuing the guarantee arrangement with the financial sector. The financial sector is expected to target highly productive farmers in irrigated and highly productive areas,” he said.
“Government is also supporting mechanisation and irrigation development programmes. The financial sector and private players are expected to finance commercial farming activities,” he said.
Minister Ncube said the 2020/21 Presidential Input scheme targets will during the forth-coming season be targeting 1, 8 million households to grow maize and traditional crops.
“The Programme will be funded through the Budget for procurement of inputs. Farmers will be provided with standardised input package of 3 to 5 kilogrammes of seed, 50kg basal and 50 kg top dressing fertilisers.
“Beneficiaries are expected to fully and religiously adopt Conversation Agriculture principles (CA) as a way to climate proof the programme,” he said.
The inputs under the Presidential Inputs Scheme would enable a household to establish two standardised plots using the Pfumvudza concept.
Smallholder farmers were for the past years supported by Government with free inputs to ensure household food security, but for next season beneficiaries will have to contribute towards the SGR for national food security.
“Each household is expected to deliver at least 75 kilogrammes contribution to the strategic grain reserve, which should unlock an input package for the next season.”
The Ministry of Lands came up with the agricultural recovery plan to boost productivity per unit area.
So far, more than 300 000 farmers and at least 4 700 extension officers have been trained across the country under the Pfumvudza programme.