Maravi

(HERALD) Farmers expect better winter cropping season

Farmers expect better winter cropping season
Chief Reporter Emilia Zindi

PROSPECTS of a better winter cropping season are high with stakeholders confirming all is in place. Planting in some areas is in progress despite limited amounts of basal fertilisers. The Minister of Agriculture, Cde Rugare Gumbo, said in an interview at his office at Ngungunyana Building in Harare last Thursday that the season had already kicked off with the early-planted wheat crop already germinating in some areas.

Cde Gumbo said the targeted hectarage had remained at 70 000 as of last season, with farmers having indicated they could plant as much as 71 275 hectares.

He said Government was happy that seed houses had made seed available on time with farmers who want to buy using own funds now able to do so from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots in their respective areas.

Although Cde Gumbo was not sure of the prices, a GMB official said farmers now had to fork out $135 billion for a tonne of seed and $2 billion for a tonne of compound D. A tonne of wheat seed is enough to plant 10 hectares.

Farmers who need assistance under Operation Maguta were also being urged to approach the offices to get the inputs that were currently being distributed.

The country had enough seed to cover the targeted hectarage with 7 800 metric tonnes available.

Cde Gumbo said the major area that now required urgent attention was the availability of fertilisers which seemed to be in short supply.

He said the situation was expected to improve as the central bank had advised him that it had released US$10 million to local manufacturers.

"Of this amount, agro-chemicals require US$800 500 and the rest will be made available for immediate basal fertiliser manufacturing which is required at the planting stage,’’ said Cde Gumbo.

He said the country required a total of 35 000 metric tonnes of basal fertilisers and 28 000 metric tonnes of top dressing specifically for this winter season.

The GMB presently had 4 506 metric tonnes, enough to cover around 9 000 hectares.

Distribution of this consignment to wheat farmers had already commenced through direct sales and Operation Maguta/Inala.

Operation Maguta was expected to grow 30 000 hectares of the crop.

Also already available were 947 metric tonnes of urea top-dressing fertiliser, which were enough for4 500 hectares.

This leaves a deficit of 30 494 metric tonnes for compound D and 27 053 metric tonnes for AN top dressing, which was being addressed.

The injection of foreign currency into the local industry of US$10 million was expected to see manufacturers producing a total of 24 000 metric tonnes of compound D from March to June, and 34 400 metric tonnes of AN from March to August.

Cde Gumbo said there were also active fertiliser import contracts under which the GMB was supposed to have received 6 500 metric tonnes of urea by April 19 from Intshona to complement the local industry.

There were also balances of the commodity from various active contracts amounting to 26 160 metric tonnes of basal fertilisers and 45 085 metric tonnes of top dressing still to be received.

Turning to fuel, Cde Gumbo said the Ministry of Energy and Power Development had advised him that arrangements for nine million litres of fuel required for the programme had been put in place with farmers already receiving their allocations.

The central bank had also announced the immediate release of US$30 million for the procurement of fuel for farmers this season.

The minister took the opportunity to clarify the position of farmers who failed to deliver wheat last season due to various challenges.

Cde Gumbo said such farmers must be allowed to grow wheat if they were ready to do so.

On electricity, which was a major challenge last season, Cde Gumbo said measures were in place to improve supplies this winter cropping season.

These include the acquisition of spare parts and raw materials for Zesa Holdings and the signing of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with HCB of Mozambique for 200MW and SNEL of the Democratic Republic of Congo, for 100MW, resulting in a total of 300MW.

On herbicides and pesticides, he said currently there were enough stocks to cover 53 900 and 32 200 hectares respectively. The deficit would be procured using funds availed by the central bank.

GMB had in stock the most critical herbicide required at planting, especially MCPA, with a total of 161 500 litres, leaving a shortfall of 48 500 litres to be procured out of the availed funds.

Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union vice-president Mr Edward Raradza said farmers were raring to go. Fuel was now available for both harvesting and land preparations.

He, however, expressed concern at the limited amounts of basal fertilisers available, saying farmers were hoping for a much better season this time around.

Labels: LAND REFORM, OPERATION MAGUTA, RUGARE GUMBO, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 11:51 AM