Chief urges community to embrace Intwasa programme
CHIEF Nhlamba from Gwanda District has urged his community to take heed of the Government’s call to adopt the Pfumvudza/ Intwasa programme as well as the production of traditional grains to ensure that households are food secure.
Chief Nhlamba, who recently hosted a Presidential Input Scheme distribution event at his homestead, has prepared three plots under Intwasa. During the event farmers that prepared their plots received inputs. The package comprised 50kg Compound D fertiliser, 50kg Ammonium Nitrate, 2kg sorghum seed, 2kg cow peas, 2kg sunflower, squash butternut premium seed, Demise 60EC insecticide and a knapsack sprayer.
Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme
The Government has urged traditional leaders to prepare a minimum of three plots under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme as their fields will serve as learning centres for other farmers to support the climate-proofed programme.
Chief Nhlamba said they are pleased to have been incorporated in ensuring that the Intwasa programme is a success.
“As traditional leaders, we accept with open hands this responsibility that we have been given of taking a lead and being an example of the Intwasa programme. As traditional leaders, we are concerned with the welfare of people and ensuring that households are food secure,” he said.
“I have prepared my plots and I hope that members of the community will learn and prepare their own plots. My focus is on producing traditional grains as they are ideal for our area.”
Chief Nhlamba said he would make a follow-up with all farmers in his area through the headmen and village heads to ensure that farmers prepare their plots and produce traditional grains as advised.
The chief said he would ensure that his traditional leaders lead by example so that the community can follow. He said training community leaders and farmers will go a long way in ensuring that Intwasa is a success.
Chief Nhlamba said those who failed to adhere to the Intwasa programme were stalling efforts being made by the Government to ensure food security in the country.
“We thank the Government for coming up with a solution to our hunger problem through the Intwasa programme, especially for our area which is located in Region 4. We were recording poor harvests while producing maize, but now we are guaranteed to harvest if we produce traditional grains even during seasons with low rainfall,” he said. “Anyone who doesn’t comply is stalling efforts to ensure that the nation is food secure. We would like to applaud the Second Republic for ensuring that we receive our inputs on time. Government has set the pace and as communities, we must pull up our socks because it’s us who are lagging behind.”
Acting Matabeleland South provincial director of the Agricultural Rural Development and Advisory Services, Mr Mkhunjulelwa Ndlovu said all traditional leaders are expected to take a leading role so that the Pfumvudza/ Intwasa programme becomes a success.
A target of over one million hectares of crops under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme has been set for the 2023/2024 summer cropping season as the Government moves to ensure optimum production and guarantee food security.
Maize is scheduled to be planted under 400 000 ha, soyabean is targeted at 6 230 ha, sunflower 100 000 ha, sorghum 250 000 ha, pearl millet 126 577 ha, cotton 180 000 ha giving over one million ha of crops under Pfumvudza/ Intwasa this summer season.
Distribution of inputs is underway in all provinces and the programme will be extended to 3,5 million households.
The Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa initiated the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme a few years ago to counter the effect of low rainfall caused by climate change. Pfumvudza/Intwasa has helped the country attain food security in the last four seasons.
The scheme has also helped boost incomes as subsistence farmers are converted to small-scale commercial growers.
The main aim of the Pfumvudza/Intwasa concept is to address problems of low productivity, low production and low profitability in farming, which have, in recent years, been negatively affecting the food security situation in the country. The concept has also come in handy as a way of mitigating the harsh effects of climate change that have caused severe food shortages in the wake of successive crop failures.