The Sunday News
Roberta Katunga Senior Farming Reporter
THE Agriculture and Rural Development Authority (Arda) is anticipating to harvest more that 2 000 tonnes of winter wheat at its Antelope Estate at Maphisa Growth Point after the successful implementation of a public-private partnership to revive the irrigation scheme early this year. The scheme is now under the joint management of Trek Petroleum and Arda, which saw the former investing about $1,2 million into the operations in the process creating at least 200 jobs.
In an interview, estate manager Mr Alec Chinyai said they were expecting a yield of five tonnes per hectare for the wheat crop which is under 425-hectare centre pivot irrigation.
He said the crop was now at different stages of development and from the outlook a good harvest was expected.
“The crop was planted at different times but the majority which is 238ha is now booting leading to heading while 140ha is at the late vegetative to early booting stage and 47ha is now flowering. We have also done top dressing using ammonium nitrate,” said Mr Chinyai.
He said the only major challenge that they were likely to face at the estate was the threat of a dangerous breed of birds called Quelea, which can devour large swathes of grain fields within a few hours, posing serious harm to the crop.
“After grain formation, Quelea birds become a threat but we are already liaising with National Parks who will set base and monitor the number to ensure that the situation is under control,” he said.
Quelea birds have traditionally devoured large swathes of winter crops, inflicting extensive losses in large scale farms and exposing millions of people to food insecurity in subsistence farming areas.
They move in flocks of up to 30 million and can destroy up to 50 tonnes of grain per day.
The most affected crops are winter cereals, especially wheat, barley and small grains like sorghum and millet.
Between 1974 and 1989 at least 500 million Quelea birds were killed through chemical control measures in the country.
Speaking on the tours that were conducted at Arda Antelope Estate in the past months including one with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services officers, Mr Chinyai said the estate had become a reference point to how new technology can improve agriculture and many people were interested in seeing the centre pivots in action.
He said they also received a lot of enquiries on how to acquire such technology.
“We have also had an influx of tertiary students who want to come here for their industrial attachment and so far we have taken two who specialise in crop science and irrigation. The development at Antelope has been a positive one,” said Mr Chinyai.
He said the expected date of harvest for the wheat crop was 25 September and plans were that they would plant 600ha of commercial maize after harvesting wheat.
“Planting of the summer crop will be done simultaneously with the harvesting of wheat,” he said.
