GOVERNMENT has come up with an online inputs distribution system specifically designed to prevent the abuse of the agricultural inputs under the Presidential Inputs Scheme ahead of the 2022/23 summer cropping season.
In the past, there have been reports of inputs abuse
allegedly by some officials in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries,
Water, Climate and Rural Development. In some cases, the officers deliberately
omit names of qualifying farmers, excluding them from benefiting from
Government’s Pfumvudza Input scheme.
In June, President Mnangagwa fired Lands, Agriculture,
Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development Deputy Minister Douglas Karoro
following his arrest on charges of misconduct after he allegedly defrauded the
Presidential Inputs Scheme of US$73 300 worth of inputs.
Several cases of inputs abuse are widespread and, in some
cases, individuals have been nabbed for channelling inputs to the market.
Some beneficiaries of the programmes have also been selling
the inputs, such as fertilisers, while others diverted them towards production
of commodities outside the contracts.
In terms of Statutory Instrument 274 of 2018, it is a
criminal offence to be found in possession of any agricultural inputs in excess
of what the farmers need, unlawful sale, purchase and possession of
agricultural produce or contracted crop and the misuse of farm inputs.
In an interview yesterday, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries,
Water, Climate and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Dr John Basera said
the online distribution application will address the abuse of inputs.
“In previous seasons, some agricultural extension officers
were fingered in this scam of abusing inputs. In light of that, the ministry
has come up with a raft of measures, which include an online input distribution
application developed to monitor the distribution,” he said.
Dr Basera said all farmers will be registered and a
verifiable online register will trace accountability.
He said the ministry will be taking Global Positioning
System (GPS) co-ordinates where work is being done. Reports will then be
produced online and verified at every stage of inputs distribution through
their head office.
Dr Basera said apart from online distribution surveillance,
the Government had established inputs distribution committees at community
level to enhance transparency.
“Pursuant to the whole of Government approach, input
distribution committees comprising local leadership, political leadership,
security agencies, other ministries, departments and agencies have been set to
enhance transparency and accountability,” he said.
“The other fundamental strategy is to ensure that inputs
are only distributed to beneficiary households who would have adopted the key
principles of conservation agriculture namely holing out, applying manure
between June and August and mulching accumulation by September each year.”
The Government is targeting 3,5 million households countrywide
to receive inputs for the 2022/23 farming season under the Climate-Proofed
Presidential Inputs Scheme, popularly known as Intwasa/Pfumvudza.
Government is targeting to produce three million tonnes of
maize during the 2022/23 summer cropping season, with land preparation already
underway.
This comes as the Second Republic has made food security a
top priority and is working towards a US$8,2 billion agriculture industry
economy, contributing 20 percent of GDP by 2025, underpinned by the country’s
National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) — the driver towards Vision 2030 to make
Zimbabwe an upper middle-class economy.
The country requires 2,2 million tonnes of maize for human
and livestock consumption and the three million tonnes target will position
Zimbabwe as a significant player in grain production in the region.
Intwasa is a concept aimed at climate proofing agriculture
by adopting conservation farming techniques and involves use of small plots and
applying the correct agronomic practices for higher returns.
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