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Zim to be food-secure in four years: Mnangagwa

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VICE-PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa (pictured) has said the country will be food-secure in the next four years following government’s ambitious programme to support farmers with the aim of producing over two million metric tonnes of maize per farming season.

VICE-PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa (pictured) has said the country will be food-secure in the next four years following government’s ambitious programme to support farmers with the aim of producing over two million metric tonnes of maize per farming season.

BY Everson Mushava

Addressing agricultural stakeholders in Harare yesterday, Mnangagwa said government was already identifying farmers for the programme to cover over 400 000 hectares of land and see each farmer produce over five tonnes of the staple maize per hectare.

The farmers would be assisted on a cost-recovery basis.

“Governments plans for disaster risk reduction measures beginning with the 2016/2017 farming season and subsequent seasons as a result of food insecurity due to the declining trends of food production in the country,” Mnangagwa said.

“Government has embarked on a special programme of maize production in order to ensure food security and maize supply self-sufficiency initially on 400 000 hectares of land which gives us a target to produce 2 million metric tonnes of maize per season on a cost-recovery basis.”

Zimbabwe, which needs about 1,5 million metric tonnes of maize for internal consumption, according to Agriculture minister Joseph Made, was currently reeling from a debilitating drought, to add to the declining food shortages caused by the land reform programme.

Mnangagwa said identification of farms and water bodies was in full swing, adding that no one, however, would be forced to join the programme. He said the response was overwhelming.

The programme, the VP said, would be funded by the private sector and farmers would be assisted with inputs such as seed, fertiliser and herbal chemicals.

Made said the country had enough fertiliser and seed for the coming farming season, which he said would improve production.

He said seed companies had assured that over 40 000 tonnes of seed was available for this season, as well as 60 000 metric tonnes of top dressing fertiliser and 40 000 metric tonnes of compound D.

Fertiliser, seed and chemical companies were at yesterday’s meeting which was also attended by several government ministers including Environment minister Oppah Muchinguri, Energy minister Samuel Undenge and Industry minister Mike Bimha.