daniel chigunwe
Ashton Mutyavaviri
WITH all stakeholders in the wheat industry moving to expeditiously harvest the 2023 winter wheat crop and put it out of rain’s way, 60 percent of the cereal has so far been harvested with some farmers already delivering their produce to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) and the Zimbabwe Mercantile Exchange (ZMX) trade platform.
Food Crop Contractors Association (FCCA) chairperson Mr Graeme Murdoch yesterday confirmed that 60 percent of the wheat had already been harvested with those yet to do so urged to intensify their efforts to avoid potential losses due to possible inclement weather.
Mr Murdoch said different contractors had started buying wheat adding that they had bought a total of 35 000 tonnes of wheat as of yesterday morning with GMB also reportedly buying 50 000 tonnes as of last week.
“Rains can make fields muddy and inaccessible, making it challenging to carry out harvesting operations efficiently. Machinery and equipment used for harvesting may face difficulties navigating through waterlogged or muddy fields, leading to delays and potential yield losses so farmers need to adhere to what they have been advised to do,” he added.
Government’s appeal aligns with the need to secure a substantial portion of the wheat crop before the rainfall arrives as excessive moisture can adversely affect the quality and yield of the harvest. By urging farmers to hasten their operations, Government hopes to minimise potential damage and ensure food security for the nation.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Dr Shadreck Makombe also encouraged farmers to intensify their efforts to avoid potential losses due to the impending rainy weather.
Farmers should increase their pace so that they finish harvesting before the rains come because if the season sets in before harvesting is completed, the farmers will lose a lot of produce, he added.
Dr Makombe also highlighted that some farmers were facing challenges of combine harvester shortages to speed up the harvesting process adding that they should unite and work in clusters.
Added Dr Makombe: “We advise farmers to expedite wheat harvesting to escape from the impending rains. They must get in touch with their cluster leadership to organise and schedule combine harvesters to increase the pace of harvesting and save the winter crop.”
Zimbabwe Farmers Union secretary general Mr Paul Zakariya concurred saying wheat farmers were under pressure to quicken their harvesting operations before the arrival of rains in order to mitigate potential losses and secure their harvest before the rains come.
“The Government’s move to avail combine harvesters was noble and makes it easy for farmers to speedily harvest their crop especially if they do it in organised sequences. If farmers fail to organise themselves properly then we run the risk of losing wheat to the first rains of the 2023/24 season. Rains will ruin the crop’s quality making it difficult for producers to fix viable prices in the market,” he added.
The country is targeting over 420 000 tonnes of the cereal this season up last season’s 380 000 tonnes that effectively made it flour self-sufficient.
Online Reporter