As Zimbabwe grapples with the aftermath of a drought-ravaged 2023/24 agricultural season, stakeholders were eagerly awaiting details of the strategy for the upcoming summer cropping campaign.
In response to this, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development in partnership with Zimpapers, will tomorrow host a one-day workshop to unpack the 2024/25agricultural summer plan, which was approved by Cabinet on July 16, 2024.
Prof Obert Jiri, the permanent secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development is expected to be the guest of honour.
The event will feature a comprehensive overview of the Government's agricultural strategy for the season, with a particular focus on key components such as crop selection, irrigation methods, pest control, climate change and soil management.
The workshop is also expected to highlight the importance of stakeholder engagement in ensuring the success of the agricultural season.
Farmers, extension officers, policymakers, input suppliers and other key players in the sector are expected to attend.
"Unpacking the summer plan is crucial for identifying opportunities and challenges," analyst Carlos Tadya said.
"The workshop provides a platform for critical analysis and informed decision-making by all stakeholders," he said.
With an emphasis on agro ecological matching, climate-smart technologies, and efficient input distribution, the workshop seeks to equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the challenges posed by climate change and other agricultural hurdles.
The 2024/25 summer season is crucial for Zimbabwe's food security, and the workshop is seen as a vital platform for disseminating information and fostering collaboration among key stakeholders.
Zimbabwe's agricultural sector endured a severe set back during the 2023/24 summer season due to a prolonged drought exacerbated by the El Niño weather pattern.
The lack of adequate rainfall led to widespread crop failures, decimating yields for staple foods such as maize and small grains.
Water bodies significantly receded, negatively impacting livestock production and compromising livelihoods for rural communities.
The drought had a cascading effect on the economy, increasing the vulnerability of citizens to food insecurity.
As a result, the country is now grappling with the aftermath of the crisis and is focused on rebuilding resilience for the upcoming agricultural season.
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Last week, the Government unveiled the 2024/2025 Crops, Horticulture, Fisheries and Livestock summer plan, which will be implemented to the tune of US$1,6 billion and financed by both the Government and the private sector focusing on various food and feed crops.
The 2024/2025 summer season production plan focuses on food and feed crops, oilseeds and industrial crops, for both local consumption and export.
The target is to increase production of cereals from about 750 000 tonnes produced during the 2023/2024 summer season to over 3,2 million tonnes.
The area under cereals is also expected to increase from about 2,3 million hectares during the 2023/2024 summer season to 2,5 million hectares.
The 2024/2025 summer plan also targets to produce 97 700 mega litres of oil from cotton, sunflower and soyabean, with the climate-proofed Presidential Input Support Scheme (Pfumvudza/Intwasa) targeting to support 1,8 million households from communal, A1, small-scale commercial farming, old resettlement and peri-rural households for the production of cereals, oilseeds and legumes.
The total number of beneficiaries for the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme will be 3,5 million.
