FARMERS have so far harvested half of the targeted 380 000 tons of winter wheat and Zimbabwe expects to achieve a record yield this year as farmers race against time given the onset of the rains and the threat of veld fires, an official has said.
The country needs about 360 000 tons of wheat annually for its domestic supplies, meaning the projected wheat harvest will be 20 000 tons above national requirement.
Securing adequate wheat supply is critical in substituting imports and buttresses the Government drive to enhance raw material value chain for industries while bolstering exports.
This year’s harvest comes on the background of 79 000 hectares of farmland, which the Second Republic availed for farmers as it pushes towards surpassing the US$8,2 billion agricultural economy by 2025, which resonates well with the Vision 2030 strategy of attaining a middle-income economy by 2030.
Agricultural Rural Development and Advisory Services (ARDAS) chief director, Professor Obert Jiri, said while managing bush fires has remained among the farmer’s top concern, these have since receded as a result of lowering of temperatures due to high humidity.
He, however, said rains are now the major threat to harvesting and urged farmers to expedite their processes by whatever means necessary.
“The rains will obviously affect harvesting and quality of wheat if it persists. We have harvested almost half of the expected tonnage,” he said.
“The biggest hectarage left is in Mashonaland West but we are watching the rainfall activity closely. Meanwhile, we encourage wheat farmers to harvest urgently by whatever means necessary.
“The fires now seem to have receded and with the lowering temperatures due to the high humidity we expect the fire threat to be much reduced now.”
Prof Jiri nevertheless said the country was well on course to breaking all records in terms of wheat harvest tonnage, a major milestone and signature achievement in the Second Republic’s Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy.
Mr Paul Zakariya, director of the Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union, which represents small-scale growers, was recently quoted in the press as saying that farmers are increasingly getting worried about the time factor.
“It looks like the rains will be upon us soon. Wheat should be out of the fields,” he said.
In 2020 Zimbabwe only achieved 45 000 hectares of wheat farming with hectarage increasing to 66 000 the following year following an improvement in electricity and water supply to the farmers.
Government’s philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind saw a number of farmers both communal and commercial being supported to venture into wheat farming. – The Chronicle
