Farmers’ unions salute Agritex

UNIONS have commended Agritex for rolling out training programmes to hone farmers’ skills in running farming as businesses on the backdrop of good agronomic practices crucial for boosting under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme.

This comes as the country is seized with adopting strategies that will transform the agriculture sector and enable it to play its expected role in the attainment of Vision 2030.

More than 2,6 million farmers have since been trained under the Government climate-proofed Presidential Inputs Programme, Pfumvudza/ Intwasa.

The number represents a considerable jump from the 1,9 million farmers that had been trained during the corresponding period last year with those just joining the programme also receiving training. Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president, Dr Shadreck Makombe yesterday said the rise in the number of farmers who are taking up training was a sign that there was going to be respectable carry-over stocks in the country.

“Training of farmers to adopt good agronomic practices coupled by treating farming as a business is a positive step towards achieving food security. Most farmers have realised that the Pfumvudza/Intwasa concept is important, hence they are taking up this training.

“Pfumvudza is the way to go in terms of ensuring food security and sustainability. The increase in farmers receiving training is a sign that the nation will be self-sufficient in terms of food,” explained Dr Makombe.

Zimbabwe Integrated Commercial Farmers Union (ZICFU) president, Mrs Mayiwepi Jiti chipped in saying the delivery of extension services to farmers was key and would increase their production capacity.

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