Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has led the way in the 2019-2020 farming season preparations by distributing seed under the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme to the Uzumba and Maramba-Pfungwe communities well before the onset of rains.

Beneficiaries received sorghum and cotton seed, which are drought tolerant crops, considering the low rainfall patterns in the area.

The package also included maize seed and fertiliser.

Handing over the inputs, Minister of State for Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs Apolonia Munzverengwi said the scheme was designed to ensure that communities were food secure and their nutritional requirements were met.

“We are gathered here at Chitsungo Primary school for the distribution of inputs under the Presidential Inputs Scheme. The Presidential Inputs Scheme is meant to enable smallholder farmers to become food secure as well as address nutritional requirements at household level by availing critical inputs,” she said.

Minister Munzverengwi said on Saturday, she distributed cotton seed under the same scheme, while on Sunday (last weekend), she was handing over farming inputs that included maize seed, fertiliser and sorghum.

She conceded that crops take long to reach maturity in Uzumba and Maramba-Pfungwe, hence the decision to distribute inputs earlier.

“Here in UMP, rains are a challenge, so we requested that we receive the inputs early to ensure that farmers prepare for the cropping season on time. We want to thank the Government for these inputs, and this shows that President Mnangagwa has his people at heart.

“This year they started with UMP, and we are grateful for that. We want our farmers to start planting with the first effective rains.”

She hoped cotton inputs would boost production in the district.

Maramba-Pfungwe legislator Cde Tichaona Karumazondo challenged beneficiaries to put the inputs to proper use for their own good and that of the country.

“It is important that the inputs are used properly for us to achieve the desired benefits, and we would like to thank the Government for these inputs.

“In the previous years, people used to get the inputs late, but it is now different and now that we have received them early, we encourage farmers to utilise the first rains.

“We have been given sorghum, which is suitable for our climatic conditions because rains are a big challenge here. We expect good harvests this coming season,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr Sebastian Mavura (63) applauded the Government for assisting them.

 

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