CLIMATE change adaptability, resilience and productivity will be the centre of the Government’s plans as the country moves toward food sufficiency in the coming summer cropping season.
This was said by Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka when he officially opened the Ministry’s Strategic Planning Workshop in Bulawayo on Monday morning.
The Minister said it was critical to encourage the over 2 million smallholder farmers that are targeted for the Intwasa/Pfumvudza conservation farming practise.
Planting of traditional small grains will ensure that the farming industry adapts to the changing weather patterns and find new ways of sustaining agro productive, according to the Minister.
“Climate adaptability is key and so is productivity,” said Dr Masuka.
“Small holder farmers in the Pfumvudza concept that we are promoting must be encouraged to up production.”
Dr Masuka told Ministry officials and Government partners at the workshop that the agriculture sector has to do away with redundancy and start finding new ways to achieve desired results.
“Doing the same thing over again has to end. Going forward, our farmers have to be capacitated with new knowledge, new ways of doing farming in a good way,” he said.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Dr John Bhasera said the Ministry’s plans are aimed at achieving productivity.
“Plans that we have to set for ourselves all have one underlying objective of increased productivity,”Dr Bhasera said.
He said the success of the Ministry’s plans were guided by the Agriculture and Food System Transformation Strategy that was launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Dr Bhasera advised that the planning and implementation process of the Ministry’s goals was not going to be easy.
“We must know that the task that lies ahead is bigger and the road to food security is matter by many wars along the way that include droughts, Covid-19, climate change among others.
“I call upon you all to date doing things differently,” he said.
The Strategic Planning Workshop is organised at a time when the country readies for the planting season expected to have normal to above-normal rains by the Meteorological Department.
Minister Masuka is on recording advising farmers to prepare in advance.
Distribution of inputs and tilleage has already started in various districts countrywide.
