The presidential agricultural inputs scheme through which communal farmers receive free seed and fertiliser from the Government under Pfumvudza / Intswasa has gobbled ZW$828 billion from the 2023 National Budget.

This was said by the Chief Finance Officer in the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture Peter Mudzamiri while presenting the ministry’s 2024 budget expectations before parliament’s lands committee on Wednesday. Mudzamiri was quoted by ZimLive as saying:

In the 2023 budget, the compensation of employees took $97 billion, CBZ bank guarantee took $69 billion, the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) strategic grain reserve took $132 billion, Zimbabwe agriculture commodity exchange we invested $200 million in that organisation.

Agriculture finance cooperation took $5.5 billion and then the presidential input programme took about $828 billion.

The money spent on the presidential agricultural inputs scheme was more than the funds spent on key projects such as the construction of dams. Added Mudzamiri:

Dam construction took $224 billion, the rest of the other ministry land items took $227 billion, the total of all these is $1.5 trillion.

Critics say the presidential input scheme is a strategy by the ZANU PF party to ingratiate itself with the rural populace in an attempt to prolong its rule.

More: Pindula News