Government is targeting to put 1,5 million hectares under
maize during the 2019/ 20 summer cropping season, a senior official has said.
In an interview yesterday, Lands, Agriculture, Water,
Climate and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri said Government was
targeting to produce around four million tonnes of maize.
He also said inputs for Command Agriculture and the
Presidential Inputs scheme had been secured and beneficiaries were already
receiving them in different parts of the country.
“We intend to establish 1,5 million hectares of maize and
we are looking at a national average yield of three tonnes.
“If we get our timing right and good rains spread evenly
throughout the season we should be able to get the three tonnes per hectare.
“ If that happens we will be talking of a region of four million
tonnes,” he said.
He said distribution of inputs Command Agriculture was
underway with fertiliser and seed companies also assisting.
This season Command Agriculture is being rolled out with
support from banks.
“We have four banks that have come online to support
Command Agriculture; Stanbic, Agribank CBZ and Women’s Bank. Agribank will be
supporting seed houses and fertiliser companies, Women’s bank traditional
grains, while Stanbic will be supporting contractors; companies which contract
farmers to produce certain quantities of grain.
“The rest of Command Agriculture farmers will get their
inputs from CBZ and the registration process and verification is underway,” he
said.
Minister Shiri said CBZ through its co-operative partner
Sakunda has started distributing inputs to the various parts of the country and
that was being done in most cases by fertilisers and inputs companies.
“Where such facilities may not be available then Sakunda
can move inputs to GMB depots and those farmers who have ben contracted have
been advised of where they can go and collect their inputs,” he said.
Farmers have been complaining of the increasing costs of
inputs calling on authorities to intervene. Government has continuously reviewed
the maize producer price to ensure viability.
Silo Foods Industries reviewed maize and traditional crops
producer price from $2 100 to $ 4 000 per tonne while Government increased
wheat producer price from $1 089,68 per tonne to $8 612 08 per tonne, a move
that is set to boost farmers’ preparations for the 2019-2020 summer cropping
season. Herald
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