The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
MANICALAND is expected to produce a record wheat harvest this year as efforts of Government, farmers, extension officers, irrigation water and electricity providers pay off to halt the cereal grain shortages.
The province attained 93 percent of its wheat hectrage target.
Manicaland was given a target of 9 300 hectares but managed to plant 8 722ha due to an assortment of challenges, chief among them the late delivery of inputs, particularly seed and fuel for tillage.
About 5 000ha are under command agriculture, while 1 600ha is supported by the private sector and 1 700ha is under the Presidential Input Scheme.
Last year the province slightly missed its target of 7 000ha — with an expected output of 36 400 metric tonnes — by 400ha.
Makoni District planted 60 percent of the crop in the province.
Manicaland Provincial Agritex officer, Mrs Phillipa Rwambiwa said although the province missed this year’s target by seven percent, it is on course for a bumper wheat harvest as farmers took advantage of Government’s support to meet national food and nutritional requirements, fill strategic grain reserves and save foreign currency.
Mrs Rwambiwa also hailed farmers around the recently commissioned Muchekeranwa Dam which sits between Manicaland and Mashonaland East for fully utilising the water to irrigate the cereal crop.
“Manicaland planted 8 722ha out of a target of 9 300ha, which is 93 percent. We are also happy as we will attain the target of nine tonnes per hectare and produce more than 48 000 metric tonnes.
“Of the total hectrage, 5 200ha is from Makoni. At the moment farmers are applying top dressing fertiliser and irrigating. The crop is at various stages of growth. We have started witnessing the full utilisation of the water from the recently commissioned Muchekeranwa Dam,” said Mrs Rwambiwa.
Mr Denford Mutwiwa, who planted 120ha of wheat and became the first farmer to draw irrigation water from Muchekeranwa Dam, said his crop is at the booting and grain filling stages.
He planted in April since the area is a slow drying zone.
“When the dam was completed, we swiftly put an irrigation mainline to all the fields. The irrigation network has 7kmx25mm PVC pipes pumped by a 120-horse-power pump. We can now plant up to 500ha at a go since all the fields are under centre pivots. All together we have 10 centre pivots which can irrigate between 10 and 55ha. The dam has given us access to plenty of water,” said Mr Mutwiwa.
Another farmer, Mr Zvikomborero Nyabadza, is installing a 12km pipeline to draw water from the dam to his Moresta Farm, where 90ha of wheat were planted.
“The desire is to grow three crops per year, but our challenge with this area is that it is a slow drying zone. The temperatures are low. We appeal to Government to assist us with driers so that we can harvest on time for the next crop. This season the inputs did not come on time and this is one area that must be improved. Last year my crop was affected by rains and it ended up being downgraded. My target yield is 9.2 tonnes per hectare,” said Mr Nyabadza.
His highest yield came in 2015 at 9.6 tonnes per hectare.
Dr James Chipunza, who planted 60ha at his Mubvakacha Farm in Headlands, said he is drawing irrigation water 4km away.
Wheat farmers require at least four days of uninterrupted power supply.
Wheat 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 crop solely relies on irrigation, which is pumped using electricity or diesel as an alternative.
“We draw our water 4km away, and pump it into an overnight storage dam to irrigate out fields, which makes electricity supply crucial. We had been experiencing power cuts but the situation has since improved and we are now completing our irrigation cycles. We use centre pivots that use diesel generators to turn. The generators are fuel guzzlers,” he said.
