Wheat farmers challenged

Eltina Chagonda recently in RUSAPE

FARMERS across the country have been urged to continue wheat planting to reach the targeted hectarage 75 000.

This was said by the National Chief Director of Agricultural Advisory Services, Professor Obert Jiri, during a wheat field tour in Makoni District, Rusape.

The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development advised wheat farmers about climate change, which has led to the extension of the wheat cultivation period, to run until June 15, this year.

“Farmers are finding it difficult to harvest their maize due to moisture that is still prevailing on their farms. These farms, which are still occupied with maize, need to be opened up for wheat planting.

“Therefore, there is need for grain dryers to assist our farmers with their wheat cultivation as the moisture has affected them.

“We are caught between a hard place and a rock and we encourage our farmers to keep growing wheat, within the next two coming weeks,” he said.

Jiri told guests they were yet to reach their target.

“We have a target of 75 000 hectares this year.

“We have planted 52 100 hectares across all provinces with Mashonaland West in the lead .

“As a Ministry, we are at 70 percent of reaching the target, which we will definitely  attain. We have to be wheat sufficient at all costs and improve our wheat production to lower the bread cost in our nation.

Wheat farmer, Francis Nyabadza, said they have been facing several challenges.

“Climate change affected the wheat as the hardening process of the wheat, which was planted last month, was disturbed due to the rains, which recently pounded the area. We would like to appreciate the Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs, which are assisting us, since the banks were giving us a hard time.”