Mat South, North start preps for winter wheat farming

Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter
MATABELELAND South and North Provinces have started preparations for this year’s winter wheat farming with farmers targeting more than 4 000 hectares.

Early this month, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe announced an additional $2,5 billion to capacitate farmers in the forthcoming 2021 winter wheat planting season. RBZ’s monetary policy committee resolved to increase support for winter farmers as part of measures to boost output and curb imports.

Annual wheat consumption for Zimbabwe is estimated at above 400 000 tonnes and yet wheat imports of around 80 percent are made each year. Following the good 2020/21 rainy season, a need to vigorously scale-up wheat production has been noted with the Government and the private sector expressing commitment to work together in boosting output.

Speaking to Sunday News, Matabeleland South provincial agronomist Mr Innocent Nyathi said they have already registered a number of farmers for this year’s winter farming season.

“We are at an advanced stage for winter wheat farming preparations now as we all know we are already in the planting season of winter wheat. We have a provincial target of 3 000ha but so far we have engaged 2 023ha under command and we are looking for the balance under presidential wheat programme,” said Mr Nyathi.

He said the major setback was on communal schemes that are not fully operational because of water points that were swept away by flash floods over the years and were never repaired. Among other issues, Mr Nyathi said perimeter fences at irrigation schemes were also now very old and affected cropping.

“Also, a cause of concern are transformers in some schemes, water and Zesa bills are also affecting farmers. Hence, there is need to first address all of these to come up with workable irrigation policy and farmers should also value farming as business not way of life.”

Matabeleland North provincial principal agronomist Mr Davison Masendeke said the province was targeting 1 004ha. “The planting window for wheat is from May to mid-June. So, we are still canvassing for an increase in the area under wheat and encouraging farmers to prepare on time for the window because tillering must coincide with low temperatures.”

There are two main programmes for wheat growing. The Presidential climate proof programme where communal irrigation schemes will benefit in terms of inputs and the CBZ Afro yield climate proof programme where commercial farmers benefit.

Meanwhile, more than 8 354 tonnes were harvested under the winter wheat crop in the Matabeleland region for the 2019/2020 season, an increase from the 5 500 tonnes collected the previous season. The 2019/20 season saw Matabeleland delivering 8 354 tonnes to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) with Matabeleland South contributing 5 905,8 tonnes while Matabeleland North accounted for 2 447,8 tonnes.