Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
Dr Anxious Masuka 
Precious Manomano, Herald Reporter
Mechanisation programmes for both large and smallholder farmers are being accelerated by the Government to conserve water and boost food security.
Through Government-enabled financing, the national tractor fleet has increased by 90 percent over the past five years, mobilising an impressive 15 381 tractors to support the summer and winter wheat season significantly exceeding the 1 800 tractors required last season.
Additionally, 343 combine harvesters are set to become available by next month, ensuring successful harvesting operations.
Speaking at the official opening of the 21st Konya Agriculture, Mechanisation and Field Technologies Fair in Turkey, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, stated that both large and smallholder mechanisation efforts are being accelerated to complement ongoing initiatives.
“At the local household level, the sustainable intensive conservation agriculture model Pfumvudza/Intwasa anchored on minimum tillage, agro-ecological tailoring of crops, and water conservation interventions, was adopted nationally from the 2020 summer season. This model has seen households attain food security, as maize and traditional grains yields have increased significantly under this approach,” he said.
“To further improve productivity, the Government introduced a soil map for all regions and villages, ensuring that pH and fertiliser applications are tailored to specific crops and locations. The use of hygroscopic super absorbent polymers has also demonstrated positive effects on seed germination and water use efficiency, thereby preserving water and alleviating drought stress.
“On a national scale, an accelerated irrigation development plan was launched to achieve a target of 496 000 hectares by 2028, up from 175 000 hectares in 2020.”
Currently, about 217 000 ha is irrigated, reflecting a 24 percent increase. Under these local and national intervention models, agriculture has been re-established as a viable, profitable, and sustainable business, regardless of scale.
The Government is also climate-proofing agriculture through extensive dam construction. This initiative aims to bolster community resilience against climate shocks, particularly droughts, and is complemented by the establishment of Village Business Units.
These units are designed to serve all 35 000 villages in Zimbabwe, revolving around solar-powered boreholes and drip-irrigated plots for about 50 households in each village.
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