THE DEPARTMENT of Agricultural Extension Services(Agritex) in the Ministry Of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement in Mashonaland East has emphasized on the need to increase productivity to improve food security in the province.
With some seed, houses have come up with maize seed varieties which can produce more than 10 tons per hectare, Mashonaland East provincial Agritex officer Leonard Munamati told delegates at a provincial Agritex annual conference that there is need to improve on the current average yield.
According to State media, Munamati called on all agricultural stakeholders to work together and improve food security.
“Let us all work together as agricultural stakeholders in Mashonaland East to ensure that we increase on our average yield from the current one ton per hectare so we improve on our food security,’ he said.
Speaking at the same conference, Agritex Director, Bernard Mache also challenged farmers to embrace diversity to enhance productivity.
“Farmers should not just look up to the government for resources, but we should be encouraged to diversify to improve on productivity’.
The call for productivity in the agricultural sector dovetails with the thrust of the 2020 national budget whose theme is; “gearing for higher productivity, growth and job creation”.
