Farmers fail to meet winter wheat hectarage

29 Jun, 2014 - 00:06 0 Views
Farmers fail to meet winter wheat hectarage It is feared that most farmers in Matabeleland are likely to boycott winter wheat and barley cropping due to lack of resources

The Sunday News

WINTER wheat farmers in Matabeleland North are likely to miss the targeted 400 hectares this year due to a plethora of challenges, chief among them capital constraints and uncompetitive prices on the market, an Agritex official has said. In an interview Matabeleland North provincial agronomist Mr Davison Masendeke said by 16 June 2014, about 200 hectares had been planted with just two weeks before the closing window of the planting period.

“This year we are targeting around 400 hectares but as of 16 June, about 210 hectares had been planted. The major reason why we are not meeting that target is that famers were struggling to buy inputs,” he said.

Mr Masendeke said some farmers were still planting the crop.
“Some farmers are still planting but we are nearing the closing window and by the end of this month we will be encouraging farmers to stop planting. For your wheat to have more tillers there should be low temperature. The more the tillers, the more the yields. A single seed should give you around seven to nine tillers but when the wheat is planted late, it could produce less tillers,” said Mr Masendeke.

He added that winter wheat production in Matabeleland North had drastically declined over the past years.
“About five years ago, we planted 2 000 hectares and that was when inputs were being provided by Government through the inala/maguta programme but now we are struggling to reach 400 hectares,” said the Agritex official.

Mr Masendeke said farmers were reluctant to grow winter wheat citing lack of buyers who were ready to pay cash for the delivered produce.
“Farmers are reluctant to grow wheat citing delay in payment after selling their crop. The other factor is the high cost of electricity. They are using electricity from prepaid meters which needs to be paid cash,” said the official.

A farmer in Umguza, Mr Raymond Dandor of Holly Lodge Farm, said he had temporarily abandoned growing winter wheat until the conditions improved.

“I have stopped planting wheat since last year because it’s not worth it. The production costs are very high and one needs about $2 500 to plant a hectare of wheat and when you sell the wheat you will not recover the costs,” he said.

“Quelea birds are also a problem. Last time I planted it and I was supposed to get 4,5 tonnes per hectare but I got 1,8 tonnes per hectare mainly because of quelea birds,” he said.

He said he was now venturing into fodder production for his dairy farm.

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