News / National
Zim has enough seed for summer cropping season
05 Sep 2015 at 09:44hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Seed Traders Association (ZSTA) says there is enough seed for the 2015 to 2016 summer cropping season.
The seed has already been distributed across the country ahead of the start of the agricultural season.
Farmers planning for the 2015 to 2016 agricultural season can do so knowing well that they will not have problems in acquiring inputs.
The assurance by seed producers comes at a time the country is bracing up for the forthcoming agricultural season which the Meteorological Services Department has predicted a short season.
ZSTA chairman Walter Chigodora says there is enough seed with all varieties and urged farmers to visit authorised dealers in their respective areas before the rains.
"We have enough seed for all regions ranging from maize to millet and we encourage those farmers in dry regions to go for small grains which are abundant. The seed has been distributed across the country to make sure that all farmers are catered for," said Chigodora.
Annually, seed houses produce 50 000 tonnes of seed which farmers have failed to consume owing to a number of challenges such as financial constraints.
An estimated 48 to 50 percent of the land given to farmers under the land reform programme is not being utilised and there is hope of improvement if inputs are available and other challenges are addressed.
The seed has already been distributed across the country ahead of the start of the agricultural season.
Farmers planning for the 2015 to 2016 agricultural season can do so knowing well that they will not have problems in acquiring inputs.
The assurance by seed producers comes at a time the country is bracing up for the forthcoming agricultural season which the Meteorological Services Department has predicted a short season.
ZSTA chairman Walter Chigodora says there is enough seed with all varieties and urged farmers to visit authorised dealers in their respective areas before the rains.
"We have enough seed for all regions ranging from maize to millet and we encourage those farmers in dry regions to go for small grains which are abundant. The seed has been distributed across the country to make sure that all farmers are catered for," said Chigodora.
Annually, seed houses produce 50 000 tonnes of seed which farmers have failed to consume owing to a number of challenges such as financial constraints.
An estimated 48 to 50 percent of the land given to farmers under the land reform programme is not being utilised and there is hope of improvement if inputs are available and other challenges are addressed.
Source - ZBC
