Online Reporter
Patience Maturure, Agriculture Reporter
Communal farmers continue to play a critical role in ensuring national food security, with this segment of the agricultural sector putting 13 000 hectares under the winter wheat crop this season.Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development director, Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (Ardas), Mr Leonard Munamati, said this recently after a tour of some of the winter wheat farms in Bikita District.
He was delivering a speech at the homestead of one of the key farmers in the district, Mr Cliff Makwarimba, of Ward 16, which has 46 hectares under the winter wheat crop.
“After the tour in Bikita, we have seen that communal farmers are contributing massively to the wheat that has been planted in the country.
“We see that communal farmers are increasing in numbers in terms of their contribution to food security and we encourage more farmers to grow wheat. In this area, they have perennial water,” he said.
Mr Munamati said the wheat crop in communal areas is currently in vegetative stages ranging from booting to soft dough, indicating a potential harvest that aligns with the national target of 600 000 tonnes.
“We are encouraging the wheat farmers to make sure they watch out for the quelea birds because the wheat, which is now in soft dough stage, is a major threat to the quelea birds.
“Government is ready to deal with those quelea birds. We have more than enough chemicals to control the quelea birds and we are encouraging farmers to identify the roosting sites for the birds,” he said.
He said the Government has designated focal persons in districts and wards with teams on standby to assist farmers with pest control and other issues.
“Farmers are also advised to prepare for harvesting to avoid potential damage from impending rains,” he said.
The chairman of Chitiyo Co-operative, a farmer’s co-operative in Bikita, Mr Tandanai Mhuka, expressed gratitude for the Government’s input support, highlighting significant improvements in livelihoods attributed to wheat farming.“Local farmers are extending their heartfelt gratitude to the Government for the vital support through initiatives like the Presidential Inputs Programme, which has significantly boosted agricultural productivity,” he said.
The host farmer, Mr Cliff Makamba, encouraged fellow farmers to leverage the Government assistance in enhancing productivity.
“As a first-time wheat farmer, I’m thrilled to have benefited from the Presidential Inputs Scheme. I’ve planted 1,1 hectares of wheat across three portions and I expect a yield of 5 tonnes.
“Fortunately, I have access to water from a nearby dam, located 2,6 kilometres away,” he said.
The collective efforts in Bikita District exemplify the potential of communal farming in achieving national food security objectives.
With continued support and modernisation, these communities are poised to make even greater contributions to Zimbabwe’s agricultural success.
The Government has been urging all farmers with land and access to water for irrigation to grow wheat so the nation can be self-sufficient in terms of cereals.
