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By Elvis Dumba
Banket – The government has set a target of hectares for wheat production as the country moves towards a wheat self-sufficient economy.
Various stakeholders in the agriculture sector said they are geared up for the 2023 wheat season, with farmers being urged to get their agriculture inputs from reputable manufacturers to avoid losing out on yields due to counterfeit chemicals and seeds.
Farmers have been called upon to put mechanisms that guarantee wheat farmers get an uninterrupted supply of electricity.
A wheat farmer Mr. Wilson Nyabonda said some farmers are failing to effectively use their farms due to electricity challenges and vandalism to transformers.
“We appeal that mechanisms be put in place for electricity supply assurance for wheat farmers, and we appeal that government ensures the timeous supply of inputs to allow farmers to plant their wheat fields in time,” he said.
During her welcoming remarks during a national wheat pre-planning stakeholders meeting in Banket, Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said farmers’ concerns should be taken seriously with corrective measures taken to ensure that Zimbabwe achieves its wheat targets.
“We are aware of concerns by our farmers. As we start wheat season preparations, there should be corrective measures on things like electricity supply so that we have a smooth wheat season as well as the availability of inputs to our farmers, ” she said.
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary, Dr. John Basera said the 2023 Wheat season is geared for growth as the government has set up various initiatives to ensure that the country attains its wheat self-sufficiency.
“Zimbabwe is one of the two African countries that managed to be wheat self-sufficient in the last season together with Ethiopia, and for this year, we are going for growth as we target over 85 000 hectares under wheat through various initiatives which include public-private partnerships in the sector as we complement government efforts in substituting food imports,” he said.
“Government has set in motion various programs that will ensure that we grow for growth in our wheat season with government financing the wheat presidential inputs scheme for our small-scale farmers targeting 20 000 hectares whilst the private sector will finance about 44 000 hectares of wheat production with the government in full support of the private sector support in the agriculture sector through food crops contractors association that support local farmers,” he said.
Dr. Basera said the government has set up mechanisms that will ensure that private farming financiers buy back crops from contracted farmers.
“We agreed with private contractors that besides financing farming production, they have to take off the crops from farmers so that farmers are guaranteed of a competitive market,” said.
The permanent secretary said the government has also set up joint venture frameworks that assist farmers who need to fully utilize their land through joint ventures.
“Our agriculture sector is growing in leaps and bounds as we continue to go for growth as enunciated by our President Emmerson Mnangagwa as we target the attainment of a middle-income economy by 2030.”
Dr. Basera said the government has also made provisions that wheat farmers will be protected from the effects of power load shedding through electricity, ring-fencing 120 megawatts for wheat farmers.
“We have noted concerns by our farmers over electricity supply as we go for the wheat season, and we have put plans through agreements with Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority that will see 120 megawatts of electricity being ring-fenced for our wheat farmers so that there will be an uninterrupted supply of electricity to our farmers for wheat production. I would like to challenge the farmers to pay for their electricity bills so that ZESA can also fund the power component which they also import although we are doing a lot to ensure that power generation improves in the country through Kariba hydro expansion and Hwange units 7 and 8 which will be coming on board soon,” he said.
Dr. Basera directed Grain Marketing Board to waive the percentage for delivered grain at their depots to allow farmers to clear their maize fields for a timeous transition into the wheat season.
“I urge that farmers and stakeholders ensure that the planning and inputs distribution for the wheat production is done timeously and this should be done by 15 of May so that we move with time,” he said.
The permanent secretary revealed that due to production costs that have gone down, the government has set a wheat pre-planting producer prize of US$520, of which the farmer will receive US345 in cash component whilst the rest will be paid through RTGS.
Dr. Basera also urged farmers to insure their crops.