By Christopher Makaza

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged farmers countrywide to make use of the early rains and plant crops enough to feed their families and the nation at large.

Speaking during a tour of the new Parliament building under construction in Mt Hampden today, the President revealed that inputs under the Presidential Input Support Scheme have been doubled this year to boost the country`s food security.

“I want to appeal to our farmers that each household plants something in the ground not only enough to feed themselves but to contribute to the national basket. My government and my administration will do our best to facilitate the availability of inputs, actually we are providing free inputs, we have actually doubled what we provided last year in the presidential support scheme,” he said.

President Mnangagwa noted that the government will continue to assist farmers to access financial assistance from programmes like the Smart Agriculture formerly known as the Command Agriculture.

“With regards to what was the Command Agriculture now, Smart Agriculture which is now under the banking sector, again we are making sure that facilities are made available to those who would want to access huge financial support from the programmes set by the government,” he said.

The President urged farmers to spend most of their time working in their fields and not at beer halls.

Government through the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme has, since 2015 been supporting farmers with free inputs, which saw an increase in maize production and the rebounding of cotton production. For the fifth year in a row, the Government is providing free inputs to cotton farmers to help keep production on an upward trend and in the process reviving the cotton industry.

Distribution of the Presidential inputs for both maize and cotton production is currently underway with farmers applauding the government for the early distribution of inputs saying it will give them the opportunity to do necessary preparations and make use of early rains to maximise production.