ARDA targets 100 000 hectares of grain

Published: 2 hours ago

The state-owned Agriculture and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) is aiming to cultivate 100,000 hectares under maize and traditional grains during this summer cropping season, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Vangelis Haritatos, told Parliament last week.

Speaking in the National Assembly during a ministerial statement in response to a report by the Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Deputy Minister Haritatos said the target will be split as 60,000 hectares of irrigated maize and 40,000 hectares of dryland small grains or traditional grains.

"The Summer Plan production will be done by ARDA estates, irrigation schemes, ARDA smallholder cluster farmers, and ARDA joint venture farmers across the eight agricultural provinces," he said.

Haritatos commended the committee for acknowledging improvements in ARDA's operations, particularly the rollout of the joint venture programme, which he described as a game-changer for farmer capacitation, national food security, and self-sustenance.

"The successes achieved by ARDA are evident across the joint venture farms visited, where farmers testified to increased production and output per hectare, averaging 7 tonnes per hectare, thanks to timely access to inputs and technical support from ARDA agronomists," he said.

The committee's report highlighted challenges including limited land for expansion, insufficient irrigation capacity, and delays in payments for produce by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).

Deputy Minister Haritatos noted various initiatives aimed at addressing these issues, including the recently introduced Crop Purchase Buffer Fund, improved access to tillage machinery, and provision of agricultural inputs at concessionary rates to joint venture partners.

He added that government efforts, supported by financial resources, have expanded irrigation coverage through schemes under the Special Drawing Rights facility and the Small-Scale Farmers' Booster Kit, which provides irrigation equipment sufficient for one hectare. The Booster Kit was launched in Mashonaland Central by President Emmerson Mnangagwa last month.

"These interventions aim to improve productivity and efficiency in the agricultural sector, ensuring that ARDA estates are better capacitated for heightened production," Haritatos said.
- the herald

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