The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
WITH winter wheat journeying towards maturity after which harvesting should start once the moisture content levels are deemed safe for the process, Matabeleland South is targeting 8 719,9 tonnes while Matabeleland North is anticipating 5 250 tonnes.
The country’s wheat stocks of 81 419 metric tonnes are sufficient until the next harvest, which is expected to commence anytime this month.
Government has since stepped in and mobilised 200 combine harvesters as part of efforts to give impetus to harvesting of the cereal to reduce harvesting losses and secure the crop in the process.
In an interview, Matabeleland South provincial agronomist Mr Innocent Nyathi said the province was targeting to harvest 8 719,9 tonnes of wheat.
“To date the area which was planted under Command Agriculture was 1 009 hectares and we are expecting seven tonnes per hectare, for the Presidential scheme it was 286.5 hectares and we are expecting five tonnes per hectare and from the 37,4 hectares from the private scheme the target is six tonnes per hectare. All in all, we are looking at about 8 719,9 tonnes from the 1 332,9 hectares,” said Mr Nyathi.
He said that some of the wheat production was affected with 148 hectares at Arda Antelope being hit by frost, from the 515 hectares planted with only 367 hectares left. Mr Nyathi said another challenge faced was due to a pump that was stolen at Zamanyoni where an individual farmer lost three hectares of the winter wheat.
“Looking at the other challenges, load shedding was also the main issue at play with frost a major blow. But by the end of October, we are hoping to be done with harvesting from all the three schemes.”
Agritex officer in charge of Matabeleland North and Bulawayo, Mr Dumisani Nyoni said that they were targeting to harvest 5 250 tonnes of wheat in the province.
“The wheat programme for Matabeleland North was planted in three schemes. For the CBZ Agro yield scheme 587 hectares was planted and we are expecting 3 307 tonnes. Under the Presidential scheme 248 hectares was cropped and we are looking at about 1 147 tonnes, with about 796 tonnes expected from the 141,5 hectares from self-funded farmers. The total would be 5 250 tonnes of wheat to be harvested,” said Mr Nyoni.
He said some of the cropping was affected by quelea birds and rodents. Meanwhile, from the Cabinet update on the 2021 winter wheat production, which was presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr Anxious Masuka, he said the early planted wheat was now at booting stage in most provinces.
Government also procured bird repellent to ensure efficient control of the quelea birds that have been sighted in all provinces and begun a nation-wide identification of roosting places of quelea birds. Farmers were urged to assist by providing surveillance information on the roosting places, and additionally can collect bird repellant from their nearest GMB depots to protect their crops.
The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority had been engaged to ensure efficient control of the birds. In order to eliminate side marketing, wheat contractors were putting in place harvesting and transport logistics.
