Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs distribution tightened

LIVINGSTONE MARUFU

 

The government has tightened the Intwasa/Pfumvudza Climate Proof Programme input distribution to counter the possible abuse of inputs by some individuals.

In a circular sent to supply chain and regional managers on October 23, the Grain Marketing Board operations director Forward Takaindisa said Cabinet through the Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, Climate and Rural Development ministry resolved that input distribution be “monitored at multiple levels, including the ruling party to enhance accountability of the programme”.

“All beneficiaries will receive all the input packs by November 15 2021,” he said.

The programme, Takaindisa said, will benefit every villager under the Presidential Input Scheme whether or not they have prepared the five plots.

The tightening of the screws on comes amid revelation the system was being abused with some beneficiaries selling the inputs. Some Agritex officers were accused of not distributing the inputs to every villager despite having done land preparations.

Takaindisa instructed the supply chain and regional managers were instructed to immediately implement these new distribution instructions.

Pfumvudza/Intwasa was carried out to ensure the Zimbabwe attains food security and reduces the import bill.

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 two kg bag of small grain.

Some of the beneficiaries of the programme have resorted to repackaging the inputs into small packs that are popular with urban farmers who do not have big plots.

A number of farmers are facing criminal charges of abusing Pfumvudza inputs.

The architects of the programme planned that farmers would get at least a tonne which would carry a family of six throughout the year.

Last summer cropping season, Zimbabwe’s maize national average yield surged 144% to reach 1.39 tonnes per hectare  during the 2020/2021 summer cropping season from 0.57 tonnes per hectare last year following the good rains and high organisation of the Pfumvudza programme.

Zimbabwe recorded a surplus of over 800,000 metric tonnes after recording a 2.71m tonnes this year with Pfumvudza topping the charts with 1.06m tonnes.

In a survey carried out by this publication, the Pfumvudza programme attained  over five tonnes per hectare against an average of 1.39 tonnes per hectare.

 

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