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Patience Maturure, Agriculture Reporter
WITH harvesting of the 2024/25 season’s projected bumper crop now on the horizon, Government has announced the deployment of 313 combine harvesters to add grit to the harvesting process and reduce post-harvest losses.
Deputy director in the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Mechanisation and Farm Infrastructure Development, Engineer Harrison Bhasikoro, said the country was ready to harvest the crop produced this summer.
“The country is expecting a bumper harvest and we are prepared for the task especially when it comes to the use of combine harvesters to add impetus to the process.
“We currently have 313 combine harvesters and the Government is working towards bringing in a further 18 under the phase 3 of the mechanisation facility. Eventually, we want the number of combine harvesters to reach 400, then we can say the country is adequately prepared for any harvesting assignment,” he said.
Eng Bhasikoro added that each combine harvester is expected to do at least 10 hectares per day, which will enable them to measure their harvesting capacity for a season in which they are expected to do a minimum of roughly around 4 000 hectares per day.
“If we consider a harvesting period stretching 150 days, then our minimum capacity will be close to 700 000 hectares, so as a country we are prepared.
“It’s not like all farmers will request combine harvesting services because some will harvest manually. For those requiring shelling and thrashing, we will ensure that Government chips in with the services off the fields,” he said.
There will be enough equipment to demand farmers’ demand for the services, thanks to the efforts of the Government and some private entities, added Eng Bhasikoro.
He urged farmers who have not secured harvesting services to approach their offices at both provincial or district levels and register to receive them.
“We are also working hand in glove with other public entities like ARDA, which will also assist in the harvesting of the current summer crops. There are also private entities that are likely to be assisting especially during this harvesting period so in general we are saying that as a country we are prepared for the harvesting activities. This will enable those who want to switch from summer cropping to winter wheat production to do so.
“The Government has made arrangements prior to the harvesting of summer crops to enable farmers to quickly make the transition from summer to winter cropping.
”As the Government we understand that as far as combine harvesters are concerned, the national demand that is estimated at above 600 is attainable. We are making efforts to ensure we have the 600 combines the country needs by 2026,” he said.
The country is targeting to increase production of cereals from about 750 000 tonnes produced during the 2023/24 summer season to over 3, 2 million tonnes this year. The area under cereals was also expected to increase from about 2, 3 million hectares in the 2023/24 summer season to 2, 5 million hectares.
Maize production, for instance, is expected to increase from about 635 000 tonnes in 2023/24 summer season to 2, 7 million tonnes. The average maize yield is also expected to increase from 0, 8 tonnes per hectare to 1, 5 metric tonnes per hectare.
The yield for traditional grains is also expected to increase from an average of 180 kilogrammes per hectare during the 2023/24 summer season to 800 kilogrammes per hectare.
Online Reporter