By Delicious Mathuthu
Zimbabwe has increased its winter wheat hectarage target from 85 000ha to 90 000 for the 2023 season in order to supply Rwanda and Mozambique which have requested for the cereal.
Speaking recently at the District Winter Wheat Launch at Wanhu farm just outside Gweru, Midlands Province, Chief Director in the Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri said Zimbabwe and Ethiopia are the only two countries that are wheat sufficient in Africa.
Subsequently, Prof. Jiri said the two countries, which recently visited the country, have requested for wheat supply from Zimbabwe hence the deliberate increase in land to be planted under this season’s winter wheat.
“We don’t want to have wheat shortage again; and here in Africa we are one of the two countries that are wheat secure; Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.
“So Mozambique came this side, infact they are here and we were with them at His Excellency’s farm at Pricabe Farm.
“Rwanda was in Zimbabwe again this week and they all said we want you to give us wheat.
“So when they said that we said we were only focusing on our 85 000 hectares which is enough for us.
“After their request, we are now increasing that target by 5 000 hectares, so the country’s target is now 90 000.
“This is because Rwanda and Mozambique have said they want to buy Zimbabwean wheat because we have, so we are going to grow for them, sell and get foreign currency,” Prof. Jiri said.
He challenged winter wheat farmers to also increase their hectarage to meet the newly set national target.
In the Midlands, he said the Ministry has already spoken to some prominent farmers to increase their winter wheat areas.
He assured power reliability as Government through the Ministry has spoken to power utility ZESA top management to ensure electricity is always available for wheat farmers.
“No wheat farmer is supposed to have power cuts.
“We said we don’t want wheat farmers to have power cuts at whatever point.
“If the wheat farmer doesn’t have electricity, even at night, we are going to wake up a ZESA person that same night to explain what has happened.
“We don’t want load shedding on wheat farmers and that is what we have agreed on.
“Electricity for wheat farmers is there. They said power generation at Kariba increased, at Hwange increased and another plant at Hwange is coming on to the grid as well.
“So thats the assurance that we have that from now till the end of wheat irrigation, farmers should alert once they have any electricity problem,” Prof. Jiri said.
He said the creation of wheat clusters accross the country is to ensure efficiency and easy identification of farmers for the necessary support production wise
He said the Ministry and Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) now have a location of each and every wheat farmer.
A database with Global Positioning System coordinates for all registered wheat farmers for easy identification and quick response once there are hiccups, has been compiled.
All wheat farmers have been drawn up in a map according to location, size of the farm and size of wheat hectarage so that they are not disturbed in electricity supply.
He said electricity cuts should only be when there are faults.
“We have taken on board all the ZESA Regional Managers so that we are in touch with them whenever there is a fault.
He said following the success of the 2022 winter wheat season, this year failure is not an option.
“We want wheat self sufficiency at all costs and we want to maintain that trajectory that we can farm wheat, we cannot import wheat, you and I have a job which is to produce wheat in the country .
“So let’s do it, as my Permanent Secretary says that we did in 2022 so let’s did it again this year, so we want to did it again this year,” Prof. Jiri said.
The District Winter Wheat Launch at Wanhu Farm saw the land owner, Mr Clever Matutu, demonstrating the best methods of planting wheat with heavy duty machinery and the equipment best used.
On the day, the look and learn session demonstrated the best agronomic practices and different land preparations methods that can be used.
This season, Mr Matutu said he is planting over 60 hectares of winter wheat.
Last year, 78 000 hectares were planted under winter wheat and produced 375 000 tonnes against a national demand of about 360 000, which remains a record harvest in decades.
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