Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
THE first assessment of crops, livestock and fisheries is underway with initial reports pointing to a successful farming season, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, has said.
In an interview soon after assessing the Royale Cooper Estate horticulture farm in Beitbridge yesterday, Minister Masuka said the assessment process was being co-ordinated by ZimStat.
“We have now started the first round crops, livestock and fisheries assessment nationally which is co-ordinated by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Office,” said the Minister.
“The target for maize was 1,8 million hectares and as of Tuesday we had done 1,786 million hectares translating to 99 percent of the target.
“Our hope is that with the additional planting we are going to exceed our target of 1,8 million hectares. In terms of state of the crop, 65 percent of the crops are at vegetative stage and looking very good, while about 20 percent are at late vegetative stage and the balance is at germination level.
“However, when looking at Beitbridge, we saw that we lost some crops because of the late rains but there was massive replanting and for those replanting our advice is that they should look at ultra-early traditional grain varieties because this is Region 5.”
Dr Masuka said generally, the crop condition in Mashonaland provinces, Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland South was looking very good.
He said indications were that the country will harvest enough to feed itself and also replenish the national strategic grain reserves to cope with future drought years.
A good national harvest means that most farmers, small-scale and the larger commercial growers, produce enough for on-farm needs with reasonable surpluses that are sold to feed everyone else.
Dr Masuka said to achieve the set goals and targets, the focus by farmers must be on better agronomics in terms of weeding, fertiliser application, scouting for pests and diseases, especially fall army worm and African army worm.
“To livestock farmers, I want to thank them for their resilience and considering that we are coming from the most devastating drought in 43 years,” said the Minister.
“We have lost fewer cattle, you will note that when we were planning we anticipated that 50 percent of the 5,7 million national cattle herd was at high risk of being affected by drought and we have lost less than 1 percent of the cattle herd to drought.
“As the Government, we thank the farmers for heeding the call to destock in order to save the rest of the cattle and to make use of the ward drought mitigation centres.”
Government is hopeful that there would be better pastures to sustain the livestock for the next year considering that meteorologists have predicted a good rainfall season.
Dr Masuka advised livestock farmers to take advantage of the better rainy season and ensure that they cut hay as part of efforts to increase on-farm stockfeed production.
Government, he added, would help farmers in Matabeleland, Midlands and Masvingo by availing some tractors and balers so that between April and June they are able to cut hay and prepare for the next dry season.
“They must also adhere to the advice by livestock development and agriculture extension officers in terms of urea treatment of stover and ensure that they have enough supplementary feed for their livestock,” said the Minister.
“In addition, they must note that the epicentre of all this is the view that irrespective of large or small scale, livestock is a business.”
Dr Masuka said the new title deeds programme was revolutionary and President Mnangagwa, in compliance with the Constitution, was ensuring that a secure title is a title deed which will motivate farmers to invest on their farms.
“It will allow farmers to collaterise their land in order to borrow from the banks. So, there will be a land market for farmers which have been given this land and we have been looking at the payment terms which are so generous to the extent that every farmer will be motivated to opt to purchase their land. This is the most secure tenure for the gallant sons and daughters of Zimbabwe, the veterans of the liberation struggle”.
He also commended authorities at the Royale Cooper Estate for embracing a market led production at the horticulture farm.
At the moment, 23ha of butternuts, 7ha maize, 4ha water melons, 1ha green pepper, fish ponds, 70 high breed goats and 230 cattle of mixed high market value breeds are employing 65 people.
“The main thrust here is market-led production. It is the market that informs production. The farmer here has taken advantage of proximity to the Beitbridge-Bulawayo road and to create the ecosystem of demand for his products,” said the Minister.
“The butternut here is already sold before it is harvested. This is how we are growing horticulture in Zimbabwe in two pronged approaches, through the private sector farmer led growth and the Presidential Rural development programme that looks at village business units. These focus on horticulture in order to create a US$1billion industry by 2030 from the current US$200 million.”
