by Senzangakhona Gatsheni

Government, through the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) is still disbursing farming inputs to farmers across the country despite a new 30-day lockdown that was effected yesterday.

In a press statement, the GMB urged farmers to collect (farming) inputs from their nearest depots.

“GMB is still distributing inputs mainly under the two Government programmes namely the Pfumvudza/Intwasa, Presidential Inputs Scheme and Command Agriculture.

“The Grain Marketing Board and CBZ Agro-Yield have made arrangements that farmers collect their inputs from their nearest depots. We are urging farmers to collect inputs to do so at their nearest GMB depots. This is with immediate effect,” reads part of the statement.

The GMB also urged farmers to strictly adhere to COVID-19 regulations at all of its 87 depots throughout the country.

Since the new dispensation took over power in November 2017, Government under the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has intensified efforts to boost agricultural production through smart agriculture methods such as Pfumvudza/Intwasa farming to guarantee food self-sufficiency and commercialise smallholder agriculture.

In August 2020, President Mnangagwa launched the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy, which seeks to achieve a US $8,2 billion agriculture economy by 2025.

Under the strategy, Government is going to make huge investments in the agricultural sector to enhance productivity and adapt to climate change as well as adopting new farming technologies.