https://www.herald.co.zw/presidential-goat-scheme-empowers-community/

Nov. 8, 2022

Presidential goat scheme launched in Mberengwa with 420 goats distributed to farmers

Summer Crops Marketing and wheat planting update

Millers are being allocated 27 000 metric tonnes of maize, while SILO Food Industry is being allocated an additional 16 000 metric tonnes

Presidential Poultry Scheme in launched in Binga

Binga District has received 20k chickens under the Presidential Poultry Scheme. The program for Mat North was was launched at Lusulu. 2000 families in Binga will benefit from the scheme

US$30m Horticulture Revolving Fund Launched

Government has officially launched the US$30million Hoticulture Export Revolving Fund aimed at capacitating local farmers in boosting production and tackling challenges related to unavailability and lack of access to appropriately structured financing for short to longterm expenditures

Cabinet approves increase in producer price for main grain crops, and oil seeds

 Cabinet approves increase in producer price for main grain crops, and oil seeds as follows:o    that the maize floor producer price be ZW$75,000.00/MT; 
o    that the traditional grains floor producer price be ZW$75,000.00/MT; 
o    that the soya bean floor producer price be set at ZW$171,495.00 /MT; and 
o    that the sunflower floor producer price be set at ZW$205,794.52/MT. 

GoZ to Improve National Breeds and Boost Milk Production

The government is targeting to artificially inseminate 100 000 cows across the country to improve national breeds and boost milk production.

Government Launches a Ticks and Tick-bone Disease Control Strategy

The government of Zimbabwe through the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Union (EU) launched a 10-year integrated national ticks and tick-borne disease control strategy in Harare.

Zimbabwe Signs a Citrus Deal with China

Zimbabwe and China have reached an agreement allowing Zimbabwe to sell citrus fruit to China. The General Administration of Customs of China and the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of Zimbabwe signed the agreement on behalf of China.

Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Starts Developing Database of Farmers Interested in Joint Ventures with Landlords.

Farmers who can invest will be preferred on unproductive farms, according to a database of farmers engaged in joint ventures with landowners. Dr Anxious Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, has stated.

Launch of the Rural Development Scheme

The Rural Development Scheme was launched with the aim to alleviate rural poverty in line with NDS1.

Fruit and Vegetable Processing Hub

Farmers from Mutoko district and surrounding areas have welcomed the Tabudirira Fruit and Vegetable processing hub launched.

Roll out of the Presidential Rural Horticulture Transformation Plan

The Presidential Rural Horticulture Transformation Plan was rolled out boost rural incomes, improve family nutrition and open the way for local processing of foods.

Cabinet approves Horticulture Recovery Plan

An economic improvement in rural Zimbabwe is anticipated following the approval of the US$2 billion Horticulture Recovery Plan, which is targeting 1.8 million rural households under the Presidential Horticulture Scheme besides the traditional private sector-led conventional horticulture.

Adoption of the the Establishment of the Horticulture Export Revolving Fund

Cabinet adopted proposals on the Establishment of the Horticulture Export Revolving Fund. The Horticulture Export Revolving Fund will be financed to the tune of US$30 million in order to support export-oriented horticultural production companies with their foreign currency requirements.

Agro-processing plant

The Agro-processing plant being officially opened by HE today has capacity to produce tomato puree and mango juice. It comes at a time when horticulture producers in Mutoko, Murewa and UMP were having post harvest losses due lack of markets and high transport costs to Mbare.

Launch of Cattle Project

President launches multi-million dollar cattle project

Launch of Programmes under the Livestock Growth Plan

Under the Livestock Growth Plan the following Programmes were launched on 20 November 2020: Presidential Blitz Tick Grease Scheme; Dip tank rehabilitation; genetic improvement; and borehole drilling. During the launch 34 bulls were distributed to 34 Chiefs in Matabeleland South. The distribution of the targeted one million one kilogram packs for the one million cattle-owning households has commenced. 

Horticulture recovery plan gets huge boost

Production of fruit, vegetables and other horticulture products for export are to be revived and the sector expanded with major investment from the private sector and the Government under the Horticulture Recovery and Growth Plan drafted by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement. This dovetails with the national Vision 2030, aimed at achieving an upper middle-income status by that year, through transformation of agriculture from a US$5,2 billion to US$8 billion sector.

Roll out of oil seed production scheme

Government has mobilised funding to roll out massive production of oilseed crops to meet local oil needs within four years, President Mnangagwa has said.

The major project will see thousands of hectares being cleared in Matabeleland South, Save Valley and the Zambezi Valley, including Kanyemba and Binga.

Roll out of a Piggery Scheme

President Mnangagwa recently launched a piggery scheme under his Presidential Livestock Inputs Support Programme that will see beneficiaries each borrowing two sows and a boar on a free loan.

After the first litter, a beneficiary is expected to pass the pigs to the next approved person.

Launching of the Zimbabwe Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion project (ZIM-SHEP)

Government has launched the Zimbabwe Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion project (ZIM-SHEP) which is expected to boost production and improve livelihoods of people in farming communities.

It will contribute towards the realisation of the national vision of a middle income economy by 2030.

Roll out of the Presidential Heifer pass on Scheme in Masvingo and Mutare

One hundred-and-ninety-four farmers who lost their cattle to Theileriosis (January Disease) in Masvingo and Manicaland will benefit from the Presidential Heifer Pass-on Scheme that was launched at Taguta Farm in Chipinge. 

The scheme is part of the broader Presidential Livestock Inputs Support Programme. 

Setting aside of free small grain seed for the 2019/2020 Agricultural Season

Government has set aside 15 000 tonnes of traditional grain seed to sponsor farmers willing to grow the crop in the 2019/2020 cropping season.

Experts say the country will receive normal rains with a bias to below normal in the upcoming cropping season and Government has since encouraged farmers to go for drought-resistant crops to ensure food security.

Approved the maize, wheat and soya-bean production recovery plan.

Cabinet considered and approved the maize, wheat and soyabean production recovery plan. The recovery plan is an extract of the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy, which seeks to achieve over US$8 billion Gross Agriculture Production Value by 2023.

Approval of lucrative Maize Producer Floor Price for the 2019-2020 marketing season

Cabinet considered and approved the maize producer floor price for the remainder of the 2019-2020 marketing season as presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement as Acting Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Food Security and Nutrition (CFSN).

Production of 5 million doses of Newcastle disease vaccines.

Five (5) million doses of Newcastle disease vaccines were produced.

The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) was unbundled and privatized into 2 entities.

The Public Enterprise Reform Programme by Government is already paying off, with Silo Food Industries set for operations following the de-merger of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) into two companies. As part of the State Enterprises reform, GMB was unbundled into the Strategic Grain Reserve and the Silo Food Industries. The government's equity holding in Silo Food Industries will be 26%. 

US$1.9B Livestock growth plan approved

Key strategies of the Livestock Development Plan entail the following: an animal nutrition programme; a genetics improvement programme; an animal health programme; a climate change adaptation and small stock programme; the development of market and trade infrastructure; and resource mobilization