ARDA puts 61 000 hectares under wheat, covers 50% of national target

Jerry Chifamba

THE Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) has completed its winter wheat planting for the 2024 season, with at least 61 000 hectares put under the crop, nearly quadrupling the 18 000ha the authority planted in 2023.

Arda is targeting to produce about 300 000 metric tonnes of wheat this season.

The national wheat requirement is approximately 360 000 metric tonnes every year.

In an interview, Arda chief executive officer Mr Tinotenda Mhiko said the authority was collaborating closely with stakeholders such as the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) and Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) to guarantee enough irrigation water and a steady supply of electricity for wheat farmers.

“We put our farmers in clusters so they can be prioritised on power supply,” he said. “Our proposal to increase winter wheat production coincides with the El Nino-induced drought that has ravaged parts of Southern Africa, including Zimbabwe, and has reduced yield predictions in those regions.” Wheat is one of the important cereals in the country’s food security basket.