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Precious Manomano-Herald Reporter
With the widening range of Government input schemes and other support for farmers, record harvests of most crops are expected in the coming season.
More than 600 tractors have been secured by the Government to enable land tillage in preparation for the next season and farmers are busy with land preparations while 46 combine harvesters are on the ground enabling wheat farmers to harvest their crop.
Speaking during a wheat field day at Arusha farm in Goromonzi where he engaged farmers, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Anxious Masuka said the President is pleased with the performance of wheat farmers.
Zimbabwe could still produce more to maintain national wheat sufficiency as demand grew. He also said Government will provide necessary support to create an environment that is conducive for farming so that next season there will be a record yield in all crops.
“Our President is happy with the performance of wheat farmers. In 2018 we had 35 000 hectares of wheat. This year we have 80 885 hectares of wheat which is a record for the country and we anticipate a record volume. We might get 380 000 tonnes of wheat.
“This is going to be a record harvest with record area and record volume. We want a record maize crop of 3 million tonnes next season, traditional grains crop at 500 000 tonnes, a record tobacco crop of over 260 million kg and a record cotton crop of over 250 million kg, and it is possible.
“The Agricultural Finance Cooperation has been re-established to provide financing through land and as a development bank. We have given AFC initially 210 tractors. Three weeks ago we gave them an additional 400 tractors so AFC has 600 tractors which will help farmers in tillage this season.
“There are 46 combine harvesters and we will be adding more. AFC is leasing 1 500 tractors which means no farmer can fail saying they have not received adequate tillage,” he said.
He added that farming should be viewed as a business and billionaires should come from land reform so that the country establishes a national grain reserves of wheat to enable to export.
In a speech read on her behalf, Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Aplonia Munzverengwi said she is happy with the progress made by wheat farmers, but they should ensure that they finish harvesting on time to avoid losses due to rains.
“We should make sure that we harvest our wheat early so that we do not counter losses. Let’s ensure that we harvest crops before the rainy season so as to maintain quality.
“We are sure that our farmers next season are going to increase wheat hectares because of prices. We are also happy with technical advisors which we receive from business supervisors which you capacitated with motorbikes and protective clothing,” she said.
Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe president Mr Tafadzwa Musarara said they used to import wheat worth US$300 million to meet demand.
“The country consumes 1,6 million loaves to 2 million loaves per day. We are grateful for this targeted yield. We will be having wheat that is self-sufficient up to next year. We used to import wheat worth US$300 million meaning we are now buying wheat from our farmers so that we develop our country. This year has proven to be biggest import substation programme done by Zimbabwe since 1980,”he said.
Mashonaland East Provincial Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services acting director Mr Leonard Munamati said the province is targeting 5 100 tonnes of wheat adding that they are going to increase hectares in the next season
“With the interest that is shown in farmers next year we are going to put a minimum of 15 000 hectares because we now can do more. The harvesting has started, as of yesterday we were above 5 100ha that have been harvested. The production is quite good and our yield target is 5 100. We have combine harvesters which are on the ground and prices are better compared to last year,” he said.
The farm owner Mr Tirivangani Chidyausiku said he is full time in farming and has promised to increase hectares in the next season.
“We are expecting to average seven to 8 tonnes per hectare. I am also into tobacco farming. I have planted 125 hectares of wheat and I want also to increase hectares next season to 200. Youths should also join farming,” he said.
Last season, farmers produced enough wheat to cover around nine months’ supply of domestic demand, a major improvement, with GMB receiving 156 144 tonnes from the farmers it had under contract, while more wheat was delivered to millers who had contracted it.
Online Reporter