‘Errant’ farmers expelled from Pfumvudza scheme

LIVINGSTONE MARUFU

The government has removed farmers from the climate proofed Presidential Inputs Scheme, Pfumvudza, after they violated several rules of engagement as chaos hits the ambitious programme meant to ensure food self-sufficiency.

It is understood that some farmers had planted their seeds early November.

But, realising later that they planted seeds at a time when there was not enough moisture, which resulted in poor germination rate in many areas, they discarded the holes dug, destroying and reploughing the same areas; a move which Agricultural Extension officers (Agritex) said constituted violation of the programme rules.

An Agritex officer in Goromonzi, Tapiwa Muzambi, told Business Times that the Pfumvudza programme has its rules which should be adhered to.

Muzambi said failure to do so would result in the failure of the programme.

“There are some farmers who are changing the rules of the programme as they are ploughing the areas which they have dug holes for the climate proof programme, this means that those farmers have disqualified themselves from the programme, Muzambi said, adding the farmers would have their inputs being repossessed or will be disqualified from the future government programmes.

Some farmers, who faced disqualification from the programme, told Business Times that erratic rainfall patterns resulted in weeds growing faster before they even planted the crop.

“The Agritex officers can wield an axe on us as they wished but the rainfall patterns threw us off balance as we were forced to plant due to the levels of weeds in the fields,” said Irene Maseko of Ivordale ward 9 in Goromonzi.

“We don’t know what to do as Agritex officers also encouraged us to plant by November 25 which was set as a deadline for the programme but when germination is poor due to lack of rain that time and one ploughs that area to replant and it is a crime then the programme was not meant for the people.”

Another farmer who faces removal from the programme, Francis Muzenda of Saratoga, Goromonzi, said a meeting should be held between the Agritex officers and farmers to resolve the matter.

Muzambi, however, said he is acting on instructions given to him by his principals and warned that those who continued to violate the rules of the programme will face consequences.

The Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture Water and Rural Settlement, John Bhasera told Business Times this week: “The programme has its rules which need to be followed to achieve desired results. If we don’t follow those procedures, we will not achieve the intended results of ensuring the country’s food security”.

Under the programme, selected farmers receive a 50kg bag of compound D fertilizer, a 50kg bag of ammonium nitrate, a five kg bag of maize seed and in some instances 2kg bag of small grain.

Some of the beneficiaries of the programme are said to be repackaging the inputs into small packs and selling them at the black market. The small packs are said to be popular with urban farmers.

Several farmers including political and traditional leaders are said to be abusing the scheme selling inputs.  

It is understood that under the programme, farmers get at least a tonne which would carry a family of six throughout the year.

In his budget presentation, finance minister Mthuli Ncube said about 1.8m households were expected to produce at least two tonnes of grain from the programme. This would result in a projected output of 3.6m tonnes of grain, above the national annual requirement of between 1.8m and 2m metric tonnes.

However, given that the country’s average yield of 0.9 tonnes per hectare, the output is expected at around 1.6m tonnes.