Harare — ZIMBABWE is in the process of aligning itself to the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) under Comesa and Nepad as part of the continent's efforts to boost food security, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Ngoni Masoka has said.

Mr Masoka said the programme consisted of four pillars. The first pillar involves extending the area under sustainable land management and reliable water control systems with the second pillar focussing on improving rural infrastructure and trade-related capacities for market access.

The third and fourth pillars involve increasing food supply, reducing hunger and improving response to food emergency crises, and improving agricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption respectively.

"Zimbabwe has already submitted its stock-taking report and is now formulating the compact while the majority of Comesa member states are still doing stock take," Mr Masoka told the delegates attending the Agriculture Stakeholders Conference yesterday.

He added that the country's alignment to CAADP was of paramount importance, as it would form the basis of any future funding towards agriculture.

He said the Government's commitment to reviving agricultural productivity was also illustrated in its recent deregulation of the agricultural sector input and output marketing system.

"This means that agro-dealers are now free to buy and sell various agricultural commodities and we, as the parent ministry, will be monitoring the situation very closely.

"Since 2000, the agricultural sector has undergone massive land reforms that have seen the previously marginalised groups accessing pieces of land for their sustenance," he said.

The Government has also undertaken massive mechanisation programmes to enhance production of farmers even though the sector has been at the mercy of droughts, floods and inadequate input supplies in recent years, he observed.

The Government has since put in place a loan facility of US$210 million for the supply of inputs.

The inputs comprise 125 000 tonnes of compound fertilizers, 185 500 tonnes of top dressing fertilizers, 13 500 tonnes of maize seed and 5 500 tonnes of small grain seed.

"Contracts for the supply of inputs under the first tranche valued at US$100 million which comprise 90 000 metric tonnes of Urea, 32 000 metric tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate, 7 500 metric tonnes of hybrid seed maize and 1 000 metric tonnes of sorghum have already been signed.

"Deliveries of these inputs to the various depots of the Grain Marketing Board across the country started last week and I am confident that all deliveries will be made before the first rains hit the ground," Mr Masoka added.