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Precious Manomano and Edgar Vhera
Herald Reporters
Wheat planting has intensified, with companies having so far contracted 84 percent of the targeted hectarage while over 40 000 hectares have already been planted, an eight percent rise from the corresponding date last year.
As farmers race against time to beat the May 31 deadline for planting winter wheat, over 100 000ha have so far been contracted.
Boosting wheat production has been identified as one of the effective ways of guaranteeing food security this season.
Over 120 000ha will be put under winter wheat to produce 600 000ha.
Contracted farmers are collecting their inputs, preparing land and planting while stakeholders meetings are being held across the districts.
Power utility Zesa, has encouraged clusters of contracted farmers to submit their meter numbers for ring fencing of supplies.
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority has also confirmed that there is adequate water to irrigate 141 000ha this winter.
The Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) has said contracting of famers is still in progress, with CBZ Agro Yield having so far contracted 5 063ha from its target of 8 500ha.
“ARDA, the major contractor, has contracted 89 percent (53 206ha) of their target area, which is 60 000ha. NMB has so far contracted 2 865ha. AFC Land Bank has contracted 8 210ha from a target of 16 000ha.
“The Presidential Input Programme has contracted 6 770ha, more than its target of 5 000, while the Food Crops Contractors Association (FCCA) has contracted 22 454ha from a target of 25 000ha.
“ARDA irrigation schemes have contracted 15 622ha more than its target of 15 000ha, with ARDA Estates contracting 2 509ha, more than its target of 2 000ha.
“ARDA Joint Ventures has contracted 35 075ha from a target of 43 000ha,” said the department.
Manicaland has so far planted 3 932ha from a target of 13 000ha and Mashonaland Central 8 595ha from a target of 28 000ha.
Mashonaland East has planted over 9 000ha from a target of 21 000ha, while Mashonaland West has planted 13 000ha from a target of 34 000ha.
Midlands has planted 2 300ha from a target of 12 000ha, while Masvingo, Matabeleland South and North have both planted less than 2 000ha.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary, Professor Obert Jiri urged farmers to put more wheat under irrigation this time, adding that the country had more water than it required. for wheat production.
“Zinwa has looked at every hectare and every farmer to see how much water is required to successfully achieve the targeted 120 000ha of winter wheat.
“It has reduced tariffs by 33 percent and it has allowed farmers to pay their bills at the end of the season,” said Prof Jiri.
Zinwa had also reduced the usage of 7,5 megalitres per ha to 5 mega litres per ha to make sure that farmers have sufficient water for wheat production.
ARDAS acting chief director, Mr Leonard Munamati last week said 40 042 hectares had been planted so far, eight percent more than the 36 934ha last year at the same time.
Food Crop Contractors Association (FCCA) chairman, Mr Graeme Murdoch said he was sure that their members would plant all the targeted 120 000ha by month end.
“FCCA members are reporting just under 20 000 hectares planted to date. Plantings are on target and set to be completed by May 31,” the FCCA chair said.
Speaking at a wheat conference organised by Zimpapers in partnership with other stakeholders last week, Zinwa chief executive Engineer Taurayi Maurikira said water could only be a key enabler if its use was properly planned.
“We have enough water to do 141 000ha but for planning purposes, farmers should register. It is illegal to abstract water without an agreement,” he said.
ZINWA annually does four assessments that guides use of water for irrigation.
From the first two assessments, Zinwa made allocations and agreements to manage the existing water resources to ensure equity and sustainability.
It then initiated dam releases and abstraction monitoring to coordinate water needs and releases of dam water to meet the demand.
Eng Maurikira said Zinwa had so far registered and engaged farmers who planned to do 23 percent of the targeted 120 000 hectares and called on all prospective farmers to register.
Zinwa allocates water to farmers based on their hectarage and water demand per hectare.
Farmers will pay on allocation per hectare or on metered consumption. All wheat farmers are charged a maximum of US$10,76 per megalitre with A1 irrigators on US$2,73, communal irrigators at US$2,15 while sub-catchment levy has been reduced to US$0,50 per ML.
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