Sundaymail Editor
Online Reporter
OVER 40 combine harvesters have been made available by the Agricultural Finance Corporation Holdings (AFC) to wheat farmers for leasing ahead of harvests that are set to begin soon.
Deliveries of early planted wheat are expected to start at the end of this month.
Acting AFC Holdings group chief executive officer Mr Francis Macheka told The Sunday Mail that the bank is working with farmers and the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) to ensure a smooth harvesting season.
“40 combine harvesters are ready for hiring out and they are stationed at over 22 centres, inclusive of some of the AFC commercial bank premises dotted around the country. The combine harvesters have been dispatched to Grain Marketing Board (GMB) centres and AFC commercial bank branches around the country so that they are as close as possible to the farmers who have grown wheat,” he said.
Some key areas where the equipment has been stationed include: Banket, Chinhoyi and Raffingora, which are major wheat-growing areas in Mashonaland West.
The province also has eight combine harvesters positioned at the Chinhoyi University of Technology farm.
Masvingo Province, where wheat output is expected to be considerable particularly in areas like the Mushandike Irrigation Scheme and Mwenezana, which is part of the Tongaat Hulett Group, is also benefitting from a similar programme.
“At the beginning of October, the Bubi-Lupane Irrigation project – with 180 hectares of wheat – will begin harvesting. Arda Jotsholo, which has some 300 hectares of wheat, will begin harvesting at the end of September, as will Matabeleland South, which has Arda Antelope and Arda Ingwizi, with over 500 hectares of wheat.
“We will be committing at least three to four combine harvesters for these projects so that they can have a seamless harvesting campaign,” said Mr Macheka.
“The listing of haulage transporters has also begun and these will assist in ferrying the wheat to GMB depots. In this exercise, we are also trying to promote locally or regionally based transporters. This means transporters based in Matabeleland will ferry the harvested wheat in Matabeleland.”
Training for operators of the combine harvesters, he added, is ongoing.
GMB has made a commitment to expeditiously process deliveries.
“GMB has been engaged for an express ticket to the trucks under the programme and tests of moisture content will be checked prior to harvesting to avoid delays.
“We also expect GMB to work seven days a week so that we maximise the wheat harvesting window.”
Zimbabwe is expected to harvest more than 300 000 tonnes of wheat, against a national annual requirement of 360 000 tonnes.
Presently, the country has over 70 000 tonnes of the cereal held in stock, making Zimbabwe wheat self-sufficient for the first time since 2005.
Last week, Cabinet approved an upward review of the wheat floor producer price to $55 517,69 per tonne for ordinary grade wheat and $66 621,22 per tonne for premium grade wheat during the 2021 marketing season.
Online Reporter