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Agriculture Reporter
Farmers’ unions have welcomed the Presidential Well Wishers Inputs Scheme for ensuring household food security to 1,6 million families countrywide.The scheme is in its sixth year running since 2008, when President Mugabe started assisting farmers with crop and livestock inputs following the collapse of financial schemes for smallholder and communal farmers, owing to illegal economic sanctions imposed by the West.

Under the scheme this year, the input package for each household comprises 10 kilogrammes of maize seed, 50kg compound D, 50kg ammonium nitrate and 50kg lime fertilisers.

Those in areas that traditionally receive low rainfall would get 5kg each of sorghum or millet seed. Farmers’ representatives said the move was important especially to smallholder farmers who have difficulties in sourcing own inputs.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union, Mr Wonder Chabikwa yesterday applauded the programme and urged the beneficiaries to put the inputs into good use.

Mr Chabikwa said smallholder farmers should only plant the 0,2ha intended for the inputs and not spread the fertiliser over a large area as that would diminish the yield.

“Smallholder and communal farmers have always been calling for assistance.  Now that they have been given a full package they should not sell the seed and fertilisers but plant to ensure food security,” he said.

He said Agritex should also play its part in advising the farmers on correct agronomic practices so that the inputs are not wasted.
Some communal farmers in Chiweshe welcomed the Presidential Inputs Scheme saying many households had just been preparing land with no sources for fertilisers and seed.

Mrs Rodha Masango of Chiweshe, said the inputs would help her feed her orphaned grandchildren.
“We usually rely on retained seed but due to a bad season last year we did not have seed to plant.  We hope the President will continue to look after us and with the good rains we will have enough food to sustain us,” she said.

Mashonaland Central Agritex officer, Mr Stancilae Tapererwa applauded the scheme for distributing lime to improve the soil composition.

He said the soils in most communal areas did not have good property due to over use.
“The lime will correct the soil pH; the acidity or alkalinity of the soil.  Please do not use the lime to paint your homes but apply it to the soil,” he said.

The 2012/13 scheme benefited 712 400 households countrywide after President Mugabe sourced US$27 million to purchase the inputs.
President Mugabe’s inputs support scheme has seen many people managing to grow their own food, thereby ensuring food security at household and national level.