Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo recently in Maphisa
ANTELOPE Irrigation Scheme in Maphisa, Matabeleland South province is set for a bumper winter wheat harvest this year with projections estimating a yield of about 4 600 tonnes up from last season’s 3 200 tonnes.
The farmers are expecting to realise about US$2 million from this year’s crop.
The irrigation scheme is owned by the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) but is being leased to Southern Growers.
Harvesting of the first 350 hectares started on Monday, according to the chief executive officer, Mr Deane Leroux.
“By the time we finish harvesting these 350 hectares, the remaining hectares will be ready for harvesting so we are not going to stop,” he said.
The projections indicate that the farmers could this year realise about 7,8 tonnes per hectare which according to Mr Leroux, is way above what they expected.
“We are extremely excited, not just about the bumper harvest but the good quality as well which guarantee farmers good prices,” he said.
Mr Leroux said triple premium wheat is going for $440 per tonne while premium grade is at US$430 per tonne.
He hailed other Government agencies especially the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) and Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) for their constant and uninterrupted supply of electricity and water.
“I want to honestly commend Zesa and Zinwa. We never had interruption in the supply of both electricity and water, something which we believe contributed to this wonderful harvest,” said Mr Leroux.
Southern Growers is also running Ingwizi Irrigation Scheme in the same province where 550 hectares were planted, meaning the two schemes alone contributed 1 150 hectares of wheat out of the province’s 3 648 hectares, according to the provincial Agritex officer Mr Bheki Ncube.
“We have witnessed the first harvest of the winter crop here at Antelope and as a department we are so excited by what we are seeing. We are harvesting 7,8 tonnes per hectare and this may go up because this average yield I am talking about is for the 45 hectares so far harvested,” said Mr Ncube.
He said farmers were expecting about six tonnes per hectare but this has been surpassed.
Antelope Irrigation Scheme’s success story resonates well with the Government’s target of 600 000 tonnes of wheat this season, which would represent the highest production since the crop’s introduction in the country 1966.
