Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
PREPARATIONS are well underway for this year’s winter wheat cropping season, with the Government announcing the planting window will run from May 1 to 31.
Farmers across Zimbabwe are expected to begin planting in earnest.
The Government has set a target of 120 000 hectares for wheat production this year, with the Presidential Scheme expected to contribute 5 000 hectares in an effort to achieve wheat-based food security.
“The winter wheat planting season officially began on 1 May and will run until 31 May. However, some farmers, familiar with their regions, began planting as early as April.
“By last Monday, 1 200 hectares had already been planted across the country,” said the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, while giving an update on the hectares already planted under the winter wheat programme.
Professor Jiri said the Government is intensifying efforts to ring-fence wheat farmers through targeted support measures aimed at safeguarding inputs and boosting productivity.
Last season, the country had also targeted 120 000 hectares under winter wheat with harvest projections of 600 000 tonnes.
In Matabeleland North Province, farmers, including Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo, are busy with planting.
Managing director at Minister Moyo’s farm, Mr Peculiar Moyo, said they started land preparation at the beginning of April.
“We did our land preparation very early, and that was at the beginning of April when we did discing twice to break down the soil, after which we started planting,” said Mr Moyo.
