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Zvamaida Murwira, Senior Reporter
Winter wheat farmers are set to register high quality crop output this season due to consistent supply of energy, improved availability of water and better growing environment than last year, a Cabinet minister has said.
The farmers, who have been ring-fenced from load-shedding, are getting more than 70 percent of power.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka said the quality of the winter wheat for this year was second to none, owing to better planning by the Government.
Dr Masuka said this while responding to questions from journalists during the post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday.
There has been concerns that some winter wheat farmers were complaining of power outages despite that they had been ring-fenced. But Dr Masuka said various measures that Government put in place, which include farmer working groups on power, have been producing wonders and have resulted in improved yields compared to previous years.
“Wheat farmers are ring-fenced in terms of the policy by the Government, we require 100 to 120MW for the current wheat crop. So far so good. We actually have one of the best winter wheat crop ever in the country because of a combination of steady power supply, better than last year, better distribution and availability of water but also better growing environment.
“Last year we had elevated winter temperatures so the tilling was also good but this season the crops we have seen, is better than last year.”
Dr Masuka said although some farmers have reported some power outages, the setting up of power working groups has resulted in swift corrective action and prompt dissemination of information.
“Although farmers are reporting power outages, it is a reflection in my view, after visiting the countryside of two things. We put up these power and energy working groups, where farmers ought to be ring-fenced, and they sent their electricity meters to ZETDS so each time there is a power outage there are able to communicate.
“So It’s a reflection of better planning by the Government that these reports are actually coming, whereas in the past we did not have this platform,” said Dr Masuka.
“Generally the availability of power is 70 percent and above. We urge all farmers doing wheat that they are doing this for the nation. This nation requires to look within itself to be able to adequately feed itself. And the wheat-based strategy demands of us as farmers to be able to produce enough for the nation.
“So whenever there is power cut, farmers should report so that we are able to tell whether it is load shedding or fault,” he said.
Dr Masuka said while there has been depressed power generation in the past fortnight due to challenges at Hwange, Cabinet was briefed that the situation was improving as there were two units coming on board.
He said it was possible to achieve better yields through harnessing water.
“The biggest problem we have in the country is that rainfall is linked to production. We need to de-link rainfall and production. Plants do not need rainfall to grow, they need water, so that water has to be harnessed and be utilised when we want it. This is why we are accelerating irrigation rehabilitation,” he said.
Online Reporter