Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
THE hard work and dedication of farmers at the Tuli Makwe Irrigation Scheme in Gwanda District has paid off as they anticipate doubling their winter wheat yield this year.
A whopping 54 hectares of wheat are now ready for harvesting, with an estimated average yield of five tonnes per hectare — double last year’s yield of 2,5 tonnes per hectare. The harvest is set to begin next week, with farmers eagerly awaiting the rewards of their labour.
The success of the Tuli Makwe Irrigation Scheme is due in part to the recent transition to a business model under the Government’s Vision 2030 accelerator, which has benefitted 180 families.
This intervention has fostered collaboration between individual farmers and private sector partners, leading to a significant boost in wheat production across other schemes nationwide.
Zimbabwe is set to harvest over 600 000 tonnes of wheat this season, surpassing the 360 000 tonnes needed for domestic consumption.
An impressive 121 000 hectares was planted under winter wheat this year, which is expected to produce over 600 000 tonnes of the cereal. This represents a significant improvement from last year’s harvest of 468 000 tonnes, the highest ever recorded since wheat production began in the country in 1966.
The Tuli Makwe Business Unit chairperson, Mr Louise Ncube, attributed the improved yield to early planting and a steady power supply, ensuring uninterrupted irrigation.
This underscores the importance of a stable power supply and early planting in increasing crop yields and boosting food security in the country.
Overall, the success story of the Tuli Makwe Irrigation Scheme serves as an inspiration for other farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural sector to work together towards increasing production and achieving food self-sufficiency in Zimbabwe.
“We planted early this year because we received our inputs on time, and the power cuts that disrupted us last year didn’t affect us this time. We have 54ha under wheat, which is ready for harvesting and we are anticipating a much better yield compared to last year’s wheat production,” he said.
“We are expecting an average yield of five tonnes per hectare. This year, we planted early as we received our inputs early compared to last year where we planted late and this affected our production.”
The farmers plan to send part of their harvest to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) and use the rest to settle loans and share among themselves.
“We are glad that we are putting the irrigation scheme to good use and are doing our best to contribute to the country’s bread basket,” said Mr Ncube.
Ms Nomathemba Mbano, secretary of the business unit, praised the Agricultural Rural Development Authority (Arda) for providing guidance, saying having an Arda manager on-site has enhanced their farming knowledge.
Arda business manager, Ms Talent Machaka, said the farmers’ operations have shifted from subsistence to commercial agriculture in line with the Government’s Rural Development 8.0 model.
“The farmers are now operating as a business unit, and we have introduced group competitions to improve performance,” she said.
Agriculture Advisory and Rural Development Services Matabeleland South provincial director, Mrs Shupikai Sibanda, commended the farmers’ progress and called for similar initiatives across the province to ensure food security and realise Vision 2030.
“The wheat crop at Tuli Makwe has significantly improved, and we expect the yield per hectare to improve as well. The farmers have shown great enthusiasm, and power supply improvements have helped them irrigate their crops effectively,” she said.
“This is the kind of development we are looking forward to seeing in our irrigation schemes. We have schemes that have been rehabilitated; farmers are being capacitated and now we expect them to maximise production and run their schemes as business enterprises.”
The Tuli Makwe Irrigation Scheme spanning 200 hectares was brought back to life after being dormant for five years, thanks to the Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme (Sirp) initiated by the Government.
This scheme was once a critical source of income for villagers and is expected to play a significant role in enhancing agricultural productivity in the province, thus contributing to food security.
The Second Republic has placed agriculture at the centre of its development plans, with particular emphasis on restoring irrigation schemes to combat food insecurity and rural poverty.
The Government’s ambitious target is to have 350 000 hectares of irrigated land by 2025, in line with the national goal of adapting to climate change and ensuring food security.
Online Reporter