By Staff Writer 

The deployment of at least 13 000 tractors for the 2023-2024 summer cropping season coupled with 35 000 farmer field schools is one strategy employed by government as the summer cropping season moves ahead in ensuring food security.

Land preparations for the season have already begun with tilling in some cases going into the nights as people heed to the call to embark on hard honest work as well as appreciate the Land Reform Programme which saw not only the imposition of the illegal sanctions but many landless black majority subsequently becoming masters of their own destiny.

To aid to this, the Second Republic has stopped at nothing to uplift the livelihoods of the people as well as make sure noone goes hungry.

The Bilateral Agreement between Zimbabwe and Belarus has also witnessed a massive mechanization drive to ensure that farming is made easier and the country registers increased agricultural productivity.

The Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ministers across the 10 Provinces have also begun to distribute inputs under the Presidential Inputs Scheme and Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme since Government has targeted 3,7 million tonnes of cereal production to meet the consumption requirements.

According to the Agricultural Engineering, Mechanization and Soil Conservation chief director Engineer Edwin Zimunga the "Agricultural Finance Corporation AFC Leasing Company has a fleet if 630 tractors and combine harvesters while the Agricultural Rural Development Authority ARDA and Rural Infrastructure Development Agency and the private sector have additional hiring capacity."

Engineer Zimunga added that at least 249 combine harvesters stand ready for winter wheat harvesting.