Strategic Policy Priorities for DR&SS

Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development: Department of Research and Specialist Services: Contribution to Budget Strategy Paper (BSP) for 2014 2016 1. Ensure food Security 1. Ensure food Security Key Result Departmental Key Result Area(s) (KRA) Areas (KRA) KRA 1. Sustainable crop and livestock productivity and value addition KRA 2. Conservation and sustainable utilization of genetic resources KRA 3. Provision of specialist services KRA 4. Legal and policy environment KRA 5. Provision of agricultural research products KRA 6. Dissemination of technology, information and knowledge KRA 7. Institutional capacity Measurable 1) To develop appropriate technologies, information and knowledge that address the crop/livestock Objective(s) management and production needs of farmers and agro-industry by 2014;

2) To increase conservation of plant, microbial and livestock genetic resources for food and agriculture by 20% by 2016; 3) To provide specialist analytical and advisory services for soil, fertilizers, farm feeds, agricultural chemicals, pesticides, seeds and crop protection for 100% of all submissions from farmers and the agro-industry throughout the year; 4) To administer regulatory services in the areas of seed certification, fertilizers, farm feeds and remedies, agricultural chemicals, quarantine and phytosanitary measures and agricultural warehouse receipting for 100% compliance throughout the year; 5) To provide agricultural research products to farmers such as breeders seed used by contracted seed companies in the production of certified seed for the market, the bio-fertilizer rhizobium used in production of legumes, and clean vegetative planting materials of roots and tubers and fruit tree and coffee seedlings 6) To increase packaging and dissemination of research-based technologies, technical information and knowledge by 80% to all farmers and other agricultural stakeholders.

7) To maintain an establishment of 2401 motivated and competent human resources by 2016 8) Improve the state of institutional infrastructure and assets by 100% by December 2016 9) Improve the inflow of financial resources into the Department by 100% by December 2016 10)Ratify and domesticate international conventions (IPPC, UPOV, Stockholm and Rotterdam) and regional policy harmonisation protocols (COMESA and SADC)

Programme Outputs

High yielding varieties released. New crop management practices developed. Rhizobium inoculants produced and sold. Information generated and disseminated. Infrastructure rehabilitated. Legislation and policy reviewed. Crops and livestock genetic resources conserved. Fully capacitated human resources. Agriculture research products provided seed, cuttings, seedlings. 2011 2012 2013 2014 Actual Actual Budget Forecast 1.Total Expenditure 6 181 949 9 442 417 19 119 000 23 270 950 (GoZ) USD a.Employment costs 4 326 116 6 809 599 8 598 000 11 177 400 (GoZ) USD b.Operations & 1 811 805 2 270 872 7 435 000 8 698 950 Maintenance costs (GoZ) USD c.Capital costs 44 028 361 946 3 086 000 3 394 600 (GoZ) USD 2.Retained 397 965 270 789 305 000 253 150 Revenues (GoZ) 3. Donor Funding 201 111 243 800 200 900 210 000 (GoZ) USD

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

2015 Forecast 28 442 452 14 530 620 10 177 772 3 734 060 303 780 250 000

2016 Forecast 34 905 265 18 889 806 11 907 993 4 107 466 303 780 250 000

Contributions to Agriculture by DR&SS: 2013

ACHIEVEMENTS

Technical reports/handbooks/manuals: draft reports and manuals are now available and ready for printing. The manuals are on production of the following: goats, donkeys, soyabean seed, Integrated weed management, guide to tomato production, deciduous fruit variety catalogue, guide to vegetable seed production, small holder coffee production among others. Research Projects established: About 220 research projects were established this year in the Crops Division. A total of 34.1 tonnes of

breeders seed was produced (1t Bambara nuts, 4t cowpea, 4t common bean, 3t soybean, 2.5t rice, 1t sunflower, 3t sorghum, 2t pearl millet, 3t groundnuts, 6t wheat, 1.6t maize, 3t potato). Distribution to seed houses will commence as soon as seed cleaning and packing is completed. Potato has already been distributed to farmers in the quarantine area. 3 rice varieties were released while 2 maize varieties and 2 bean varieties were submitted for DUS testing.
Conservation programs: Conservation of indigenous livestock breeds (cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry) has been resuscitated and is in progress. A

number of indigenous cattle have been recommended for registration in the Zimbabwe Herd Book as purebred stock.
Information dissemination: The Department participated in a number of agricultural shows (national, provincial and district), field days and farmer field schools where information was disseminated in the form of pamphlets and fliers covering Rhizobium production, Seed certification, Plant Breeders Rights, paprika and tobacco stalk destruction, bacterial wilt and cyst nematodes awareness, soil sampling. coffee, cotton, wheat, maize, cassava, tomato, sorghum, finger millet, pearl millet, wheat, sunflower, common bean, cowpea, Bambara nut, soybean, potato) and 20 banners on cotton. In addition, adverts on functions of Chemistry and Soil Research Institute and Plant Quarantine Research Services were done in the print media. Collaborative Research: Institutes are now partnering with both local and international organizations in research activities, thereby creating a conducive environment for future funding by donors in the near future. Partnerships with CG Centers such as CIMMYT, CIAT, WWF and ICRISAT were established with emphasis on the development of integrated crop management practices. PSIP projects: Funding for projects enabled completion of fencing works at Panmure Experimental Station, Matopos Research Institute as well as rehabilitation of boreholes at Save Valley Experiment Station, Horticulture Research Institute and Matopos Research Institute. One milking parlour was fully refurbished and more work on rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure is in progress at various research institutes.

Development and testing of new lines/crosses for use in further development of new crop varieties : 865 new lines/crosses and varieties developed and tested. Evaluation of the efficacy of agrochemicals for use in crop production: 2 herbicides, 4 fertilizers and 5 insecticides were evaluated for efficacy under Zimbabwean conditions in order to give farmers more options in crop management. Training: More than 1000 farmers were trained on various aspects such as integrated weed management, cotton, coffee, beans, soyabeans, seed and livestock production. Extensionists from the public and private sector were also trained. Other: Institutes continue providing facilities for university students for attachment.

CHALLENGES

1. Research funding: Acute shortage of funds to: Directly support sustained research projects within defined programmes at research institutes. This has resulted in stalled research that should otherwise bring in new information and technology to support extension information dissemination and farmer production programmes. Carry out enough interface farm trials to verify technologies together with extension and farmers To procure inputs such as fertilizers and chemicals (including laboratory reagents used in analyses) to support the core function of research and in provision of services Enable travel by management to coordinate, monitor and evaluate programmes and projects carried out by the departments institutes 2. Constrained staff mobility: In the 1980s and 1990s, the department almost entirely relied on CMED hired vehicles in the past. With the change of CMED status to be a commercial entity in the 2000s, their hire charges are not cost effective for DR&SS and it is economical for the Department to buy its own fleet and maintain it. Currently, vehicular transport and travel resources are inadequate, thereby precluding staff from reaching key research locations off station and from effectively providing regulatory and specialist services such as: Carrying out internal quarantine services, such as enforcement of residue destruction of cotton, tobacco and paprika to create the statutory production-free windows. This is a pest and diseases management tool governed by an Act of Parliament. Regulatory inspections of seed crops for national certification before such are marketed

Fertilizers and farm feeds inspections for quality assurance Provision of services such as training of extension agents and farmers in specialist areas Off station research to sample environments that do not prevail on stations and to verify research findings on farms, together with extension agents and farmers before recommendations are done Current requirements: 35 light trucks, 88 motor cycles, 5 lorries (7-ton), 5 twin cabs, 6 sedans, 1 mini bus (18 seater), 76 bicycles and 26 horses. The motor cycles, bicycles and horses are required for chores and patrols of cattle paddocks on livestock institutions, which range between 2,700 and 28,000 ha in extent.

3. Aged physical infrastructure on stations: Dilapidated farm buildings and houses that do not adequately protect state property against effects weather and thefts. These require step-wise and strategic resource allocation to rehabilitate a certain number each year. Aged laboratory buildings that affect efficiency of analyses carried out in them. These also require yearly resource allocation for rehabilitation of a given number each year. Old rusty and irreparable fences that have cost the nation of assets such as (a) livestock, through straying and therefore thefts of strayed animals and (b) valuable conserved crops that are propagated to support farmer production and seed crops, through destruction by wild animals such as pigs. Obsolete laboratory fixed infrastructure and equipment, some of which dates back forty (40) years or more and is no longer efficient both in speed and quantity output.

4. Aged Irrigation infrastructure to support research & seed production: Irrigation infrastructure is necessary for supporting the core function of research on crops Currently, the irrigation network and support infrastructure such as water reservoirs on stations is not only insufficient to meet the expanded requirements, but it is also too old Irrigation is required for: Maintenance of forages and pastures conserved on the livestock research stations for regular distribution to livestock farmers Producing seed crops of varieties developed by the department Production and supply of breeders seed to seed companies contracted by the department to produce certified seed for the market

 Maintaining crop varieties through regular re-generation of the conserved seed Maintenance of the preserved live specimen in the Botanic Garden in Harare Ministry of Finance is already supporting irrigation rehabilitation on stations. This programme needs to continue until all such equipment is rehabilitated, while at the same time consideration for expansion where necessary, needs to be supported.

5. High utility bills: Electricity and water bills from ZESA and ZINWA respectively are exorbitant and tend to gobble up a large percentage of funds allocated to the department. At the same time, intermittent electricity outages affect functions of laboratories that provide a valuable specialist service to clients. For example: Production of rhizobium inoculants (nitrogen bio-fertilizer) produced by the department and used by farmers producing legumes such as soybean has been affected. There is need to invest in back up electricity sources such as generators. Regular supply of water is important for watering livestock and for irrigating research crops. Hence the need to drill additional boreholes. 6. Shortage of field equipment: There has not been consistent replacement of tractors and ploughs to till the land, prepare fireguards and ferry feeds, over the years, resulting in a gross shortage of such equipment Moreover, the institutes generally do not have farm equipment such as planters, fertilizer and herbicide spreaders and applicators or harvest equipment, making it difficult to commercialize production on available land to generate some income to plough back into research. Such capital investment cannot be achieved over night, but has to be planned in such a way that each year funds are set aside to procure some equipment.

7. Staff experience: While the staff numbers are now relatively better than what they were in the period 2001 to 2008, relative experience is less and therefore capacity to carry out research and deliver services must be developed.

There is need to invest in human capital development both formal and short courses for the foreseeable future. This entails a deliberate effort to fund staff development programmes. A number of institutes are being headed by acting head of institutes. Decision making in these institutes is slow because of non accountability by officers.

8. Lag in Publications: With availability of new information, there is need to package it into production manuals, fact sheets, pamphlets and posters for use by clients. Publication is very expensive and requires a reasonable budget. Many such publications remain in limited circulation and have not been massproduced to be easily available to extension outreach programmes and farmers.

9. Environmental factors: Annually institutes lose grazing land property due to uncontrolled fires from neighbouring communities. Of late livestock institutes and Panmure are being invaded by both legal and illegal miners. Mining activities are affecting experimental sites and natural resources (trees, grasses).