adminFarming Reporter
THE current wet spell is not only coincidental – it is ideal for the winter wheat preparations – but the farmers who should be busy on the fields have retreated with agricultural experts warning that the country risks becoming wholly dependent on expensive imports if farmers are not incentivised.
The lack of activity in this traditional winter wheat farming areas like Manicaland as the season beckons is a sure signal of a disaster and possible extinction for the cereal grain.
Agritex head for Manicaland Mr Godfrey Mamhare said this was the ideal time for farmers to commence land preparations.
“Winter wheat preparations should start now, and naturally you would expect to see a lot activity, given the current wet spell. The take-up is poor, last year Manicaland planted 800ha and many are not keen at all.
“Escalating costs are cited as the major hindrance to wheat production,” said Mr Mamhare.
Farmers interviewed by The Manica Post this week said that they boycotted wheat production due to exactly the same constraints they have faced over the past decade.
Most farmers have turned their backs on wheat production citing high operational costs exacerbated by a plethora of factors – chief among them expensive inputs, especially seed and fertilisers, lack of adequate and affordable water for irrigation and adequate and affordable electricity to spur irrigation.
It is against that backdrop of unreliable electricity and water supplies that compelled most farmers to ditch winter wheat.
Farmers decried that high cost of electricity and its non-availability will push them to accrue additional diesel costs to irrigate.
Farmers said they require at least four days of uninterrupted power supply to irrigate because winter wheat is highly sensitive to moisture deficits, especially during the critical phases of heading, flowering and early grain-fill.
Mr Denford Mutwiwa, of Mutwiwa Farm in Headlands, said he had initially targeted to plant 40ha, but backtracked after failing to pool the financial resources.
Mr Mutwiwa is yet to receive payment for deliveries made to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) last year.
“I have not been paid for the crop I sold to GMB last year, and that affected my capacity as I cannot continue pouring my resources into a bottomless pit. I had planned to plant 40ha, but I cannot due to financial constraints,” said Mr Mutwiwa.
Wheat is one of the most strategic crops in Zimbabwe after maize and the country needs about 400 000 tonnes of wheat per annum and there is huge possibility that she will fail to produce even a third of her annual requirement.
This is despite the fact that wheat is a critical cereal crop that contributes to the diet of the general populace, especially with regards to bread which is eaten as a major part of breakfast.
Zimbabwe consumes more than a million loaves of bread daily and needs at least 25 000 tonnes of wheat monthly.
In spite of its importance, production of the grain has been on the decline with little or no effort from responsible authorities to resuscitate it to the 1990s levels when the country used to produce 325 000 tonnes of wheat per annum.
Zimbabwe currently imports 80 percent of the grain from South Africa, which enters the country as flour.
Farmers will have to fork out about US$1 200 to grow a hectare of wheat, which is purchased for a paltry US$466 per tonne.
In other countries such as Ukraine, Russia, and Australia, production costs hover between US$230, US$500 and US$600 per hectare.
The cost disparities have the effect of rendering Zimbabwean farmers uncompetitive on the global market.
In order to remain viable, farmers have been lobbying Government for a producer price of at least US$600 per tonne.
Online Reporter