EXPECTATIONS for the country to surpass 360 000 tonnes of wheat this year are running high amid revelations that 326 166 tonnes of the cereal had been harvested from 72 773ha, as of November 28 with 8 222ha still outstanding.
Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) chief director Professor Obert Jiri highlighted in the weekly summer season preparedness report yesterday.
“The cumulative area harvested across the provinces stood at 72 663ha, which is 92 percent of the total planted area, which has yielded 326 166 tonnes of wheat, representing 87 percent of total production by November 28. Consolidation of the final report is underway, as harvesting is tailing off in all provinces,” said Prof Jiri.
Prof Jiri pointed out that as rainfall activities had spread throughout the country, 1 575, 5ha of the planted area had been affected by the rains, which has affected the quality of wheat.
Mashonaland West province has 820, 5ha that were affected, marking 52 percent of the total affected area. Manicaland, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central provinces had 263ha, 187ha and 163ha affected respectively, representing a joint percentage of 39 percent.
The four provinces had a cumulative affected area of 91 percent.
From the information gathered Mashonaland West province still accounts for the largest wheat harvest of 130 199 tonnes followed by Mashonaland Central at 53 158 tonnes, Mashonaland East at 42 867 tonnes and Midlands province at 41 366 tonnes.
Midlands has so far recorded the highest average yield of 6, 3 tonnes per hectare, followed by Mashonaland West and Manicaland provinces at 4, 9 and 4, 8 tonnes per hectare respectively.
The national average yield so far this year stood at 4, 4 tonnes per hectare and is slightly lower than 5, 3 tonnes per hectare achieved last year.
Food Crop Contractors Association (FCCA) chairperson Mr Graeme Murdoch said the current rainfall activities in the whole country had disrupted wheat harvesting.
“There are still some FCCA wheat, which has not yet been harvested, as a result of the wet weather. Speedy harvesting is set to resume when conditions permit,” said Mr Murdoch.
Mr Murdoch further said negotiations with the authorities were continuing around payment for wheat delivered to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) by contractors adding that they hoped to get some clarity on the matter soon.
This follows concerns by FCCA that their members who delivered their wheat at the start of the marketing season had not yet been paid by GMB.
If the remaining 8 222ha of wheat are going to achieve the current average wheat yield of 4, 4 tonnes per hectare, then over 36 000 tonnes will be realised by the end of the season bringing the cumulative seasonal total production to 362 343 tonnes. This is slightly above the country’s annual wheat requirements of 360 000 tonnes and will go a long way in helping the country slash foreign currency expenditure on wheat imports. – The Herald
