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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
The implementation of the Command Agriculture initiative was delayed this year due to sabotage by G4O elements in the previous Government who were opposed to the policy.

This was said by President Emmerson Mnangagwa during his meeting with chiefs in Gweru on Saturday.

He, however, said following the restoration of sanity in Government the policy would be fully implemented as it had his full backing.

“Gore rino iri, nyaya yeCommand Agriculture yanga yapinda njodzi, saka muchiona yanonoka gore rino iri, injodzi yanga yauya ichibva kune vanga vasingadi kuti Command ibudirire.

“Zvino ndangariro iyoyo yatova yazuro nekuti ivavo havasisina rekuti vaimise,” he said.

The President added that it was unfortunate that the season started when the policy initiative was still being stifled by its opponents.

President Mnangagwa said things were now in order and hoped that the implementation would be smooth from now onwards.

“Asi zvinhu zvagadzirisika iye zvino manje saka tovimba kuti zvinhu zvichadzoka pazvanga zviri kana kuti pari nani nokuti ini saPresident ndotsigira Command Agriculture ne Command Fisheries,” he said.

The President also said Government had embarked on an irrigation programme that will target 2 000 hectares of land in each of the country’s 60 districts.

“Saka zvobvira kuti pagore tinofanira kuwana 120 000 hectares under irrigation. Tichiti each district ngaiwane at least 2 000 hectares.

“Kana province yati haisisina mukana, tino shifter mahectares iwayo kuenda kune imwe province kututsira pane 2 000 iwayo.

“At the end of the day tine programme ne mari yekuti pagore tiite 120 000 hectares dze irrigation throughout the country,” he said.

He said Government had set to reach an eventual target of 300 000 hectares annually under irrigation that is enough to produce two million tonnes of grain to meet the country’s annual needs.

Command Agriculture was adopted in 2016 and is credited with the production of a bumper harvest achieved last year together with other Government initiatives.