Ransom Mandhlazi

2023-2014 summer cropping season is well on course as farmers remain unfazed by reports of a possible drought influenced by El Nino.

The Meteorological Services Department said the 2023-24 rainfall season will be characterized by normal to below normal rains, which impact negatively on the agriculture sector.

However, the climate-proofed Presidential Inputs Scheme introduced by President Mnangagwa's Second Republic, has been hailed as a game-changer, as it has come as a counter measure, with many vulnerable households countrywide benefiting under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme.

Government is this year targeting cereal production of 3 775 728 tonnes (3 060 000 tonnes of maize and 715 728 tonnes of traditional grains), which is enough to meet the human cereal consumption requirements.

Besides summer grains, Government is targeting to be self-sufficient in wheat and oil seed production.

An A1 Mhangura maize grower, Mr Moses Mahobho said the planning and timely distribution of inputs by the Second Republic is masterstock, as well as the implementation, enough education on climate-proofed pfumvudza will see the nation through the 2023/2024 summer cropping season.

“We were given seed, fertilizer and chemicals in time, we heard that there will be El Nino and this might affect us if the seed does not receive water before it sprouts, however we are very hopeful for the rains,” he added.

Since the turn of the century, issues of drought and climate change have become topical. It has also become a reality that rain fed agriculture is no longer sustainable.

In Zimbabwe the 1982 and 1992 droughts were a wake-up call which saw some serious farmers investing in their farming operations to mitigate the effects of the climate change-induced erratic rainfall patterns.