Theseus Shambare
WHEAT harvesting is expected to be complete next week, with farmers having already delivered over 137 000 tonnes to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).
Deliveries are projected to top 380 000 tonnes, the biggest harvest since commercial wheat farming began in the 1960s.
Zimbabwe annual requirement for the cereal stands at 360 000 tonnes. With the Meteorological Services Department forecasting increased rainfall activity, farmers have since been urged to fast-track harvesting to avoid lowering the quality of the crop.
Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services chief director in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, said the bulk of the crop has reached maturity and is in good condition.
“Wheat harvesting is in full swing. To date, the cumulative area harvested across the provinces stands at 29 092 hectares, with a cumulative production of 137 666 tonnes (as of Wednesday last week). Farmers need to take advantage of the abundance of combine harvesters to harvest their wheat crop early to avoid losses due to the imminent rains,” he said.
The 248 combine harvesters that have been deployed, he said, would help expedite the process.
“As Government, we are forecasting that by mid-month, before the actual effective rains, farmers will be done harvesting,” he said.
Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe chairperson, Mr Tafadzwa Musarara, said good-quality wheat will help Zimbabwe cut the import bill.
“By early harvesting, we will have good-quality cereal fit for bread production. Rain-damaged wheat is downgraded and is not fit for human consumption. What it means is, the farmer will loses between US$150 and US$200 per tonne. However, with good-quality wheat, as a nation, we export the surplus of our soft wheat in exchange for only 30 percent of hard wheat for good-quality bread blending, which is a smart way of doing business.”
Nyamavanga Farmers Association chairperson, Mr Silas Mubhemi, whose organisation has scores of farmers who are currently harvesting winter wheat, lauded the authorities for providing adequate equipment for harvesting.
“The majority of our farmers have harvested their crop and realised an average of 5,2 tonnes per hectare. They are only left with deliveries to the GMB,” said Mr Mubhemi.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union executive director, Mr Paul Zakariya, implored farmers to speed up harvesting to beat the rains.
According to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development’s weekly report, Mashonaland West is leading in output after delivering 40 304 tonnes to the GMB, with an average harvest of 4,6 tonnes per hectare.
Midlands and Mashonaland Central are leading in production per hectare, with an average of 5,8 tonnes and 5,4 tonnes, respectively. Masvingo province has recorded the least average output of 2,7 tonnes per hectare.
However, the overall national wheat output is 4,7 tonnes per hectare, which, according to experts, signals a bumper harvest. – The Sunday Mail
