The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
MANICALAND has been given a winter wheat target of 9 500 hectares out of the
85 000ha being targeted under the 2023 wheat plan — amid revelations that some of the inputs are available at some GMB depots in the province.
Wheat is the second most important cereal after maize in Zimbabwe’s food security basket.
Since the nation is in a drive for import substitution, producing enough wheat will result in forex savings.
Last season, Zimbabwe produced 375 000 tonnes, thereby making the country wheat self-sufficient.
The harvest was 13 percent higher than the previous year and it broke a half-century old record.
With the country no longer importing wheat to meet its needs, Zimbabwe is saving nearly US$300 million in import costs.
Chief Director (Agriculture Advisory Services), Professor Obert Jiri said in the current context where African countries are suffering from the absence or high cost of Russian and Ukrainian wheat, Zimbabwe stands out for its proactive policy.
He also said Government has cleared US$14 million owed to some farmers for the wheat delivered to the Grain Marketing Board last year.
“It is true that we were owing some farmers, but as we speak, all the farmers have since been paid. All the money has been released by Treasury.
“We produced more than what had been anticipated, and it took us time to clear the payments. Now that all the wheat has been paid for, farmers no longer have excuses. Therefore they have to make adequate preparation for winter wheat.
“We were also assured of the availability of enough electricity and we are already working on the new producer prices. This season we will have 85 000ha and each province has been allocated a target so that we remain wheat sufficient,” said Professor Jiri.
Professor Jiri said as per the 2023 wheat plan, all areas with irrigation must be harnessed for wheat production.
Agriculture Advisory and Rural Development Services (AARDS) director for Manicaland, Mrs Phillipa Rwambiwa said preparations for wheat farming are in full throttle.
Mrs Rwambiwa expressed optimism that the province, which was adjudicated the best in wheat production last season, is on track to meet or surpass the set target.
“We have been given a target of 9 500ha, and we can attain it. Preparations are on track, and already some of the inputs like Compound D are available at some GMBdepots in the province,” said Mrs Rwambiwa.
The standard cost structure for wheat production at high management levels ranges between $1 700 and $2 100 per hectare.
The optimum time for planting winter wheat is between mid-April and the last week of May.
Sometimes planting time can be extended to mid-June, but is not normally recommended since delayed planting results in a loss of about 50kg per ha per day after May.
Wheat is a temperate crop and is best grown in winter under irrigation with optimum day temperatures of between 15 – 20 Degrees Celsius and cooler nights for best yields.
It is highly sensitive to moisture deficits, especially during the critical phases of heading, flowering and early grain-fill.
This means the crop has to be grown under uninterrupted irrigation, thereby making the continuous availability of water and electricity crucial.
The total gross amount of water required is about 500-600mm per hectare.
Mr Gijima Msindo of Gijima Farm in Headlands said he is preparing to plant 150ha of wheat this season.
Mr Msindo applauded Government for allowing wheat farmers, whose operations consume a lot of electricity, to use a stop order facility that allows them to pay their electricity bills upon delivering their produce to the GMB.
However, Professor Jiri said some farmers are not paying their loans and electricity bills, thereby threatening the viability of the enterprise.
“We have been engaging Zesa, telling them that we want to grow 85 000ha of wheat to feed the country, and they assured us of sufficient electricity to sustain wheat production as long as the farmers pay.
“The challenge is that some farmers do not want to pay for the electricity. I want to urge all farmers to settle their electricity bills so that Zesa is capacitated to provide the service,” said Professor Jiri.
He said Government is targeting to plant two million hectares of maize next summer, with focus on maximising the yield per unit area.
“Our focus for both winter and summer is on productivity. We need to get the maximum we can get on that area to enable us to have a successful winter and summer season,” said Professor Jiri.
