adminPamela Shumba Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT is targeting to produce more than 11 000 tonnes of wheat from Arda estates this year and increase production to 30 000 tonnes next year as efforts to boost food production intensify, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa said yesterday. VP Mnangagwa was at Arda Antelope Estate at Maphisa Growth Point in Kezi, Matabeleland South yesterday to assess progress on the wheat production from 500 hectares.
The massive production of maize and wheat started last year after Arda partnered with TREK Petroleum.
The Vice President was accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Dr Joseph Made and his deputy, responsible for cropping Cde Davis Marapira, Industry and Commerce Minister Cde Mike Bimha, Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Abedinico Ncube and Arda board chairperson Mr Basil Nyabadza.
VP Mnangagwa said the expansion of the Antelope estate and other Arda estates will see the country producing more than 11 000 tonnes of wheat this year. He said in the next three years, 3 000 hectares will be under wheat at Antelope estate.
“I’m aware that last winter there was very little coming from Arda estates to the national coffers as wheat production was very low. This season alone we expect up to 11 000 tonnes.
“For Antelope we agreed that we will expand this project. Last time we had few hectares under maize and I see now we have 500 hectares under wheat. Next winter we must double the size of land and threafter increase it three fold so that we produce at least 33 000 tonnes of wheat from Arda estates,” said VP Mnangagwa.
He urged Arda employees to work hard to achieve the set targets. “The President wants the country to produce not just enough for its consumption but even surplus for export. I want us to work together to achieve that goal. We want Maphisa to be an agro business centre where we harvest and process our crops here.
“The wheat shall only leave Maphisa as flour and maize shall only leave as mealie-meal, while soya shall leave as cooking oil. Anybody near water must make sure that they utilise it. This is an important programme that will make Zimbabwe self-sufficient in food thereby becoming the bread basket for the region,” said VP Mnangagwa.
He said the country had the capacity to feed itself because the water, the land and the human resources are in abundance. “I’ve brought Minister Bimha here so that he can see what we’re doing. His business is to process what we produce into finished products such as mealie-meal or cooking oil.
In the 10-point plan there’s primary production and we must see it happening here. “We want businesses to come to the countryside. We’re already planning to establish a mill for the production of mealie-meal,” said VP Mnangagwa.
He said he will also engage the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development to make sure that the roads are rehabilitated to facilitate smooth movement of goods.
“We want to move ahead with willing partners who want to develop their country and contribute to food security in the country. We’re not forgetting those who have small farms. These fall under a different programme, the Presidential Scheme run by the Ministry of Agriculture. We’re looking for funds for the programme so that we provide the required inputs.
“We also have another food production programme called the command agriculture programme, where people volunteer to be part of the scheme so that they receive financial support from the government in terms of inputs,” said VP Mnangagwa. Mr Nyabadza said Arda states were spearheading the programme to boost food production and stop grain imports.
“We want to showcase to the nation that the government policies are real and they’re achievable. I’m glad that we now have an investor that will put up a mill here,” said Mr Nyabadza.The Antelope estate also has 1 000 head of cattle.
Online Reporter