The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Monday, September 25, 1967 — A small group of farmers in the Sherwood block, near Que Que, who started to grow winter wheat under irrigation only four years ago, are beginning to set the pace for the country.

When they started in 1964, their average yield was 13 to 14 bags an acre; this year they are expecting an average of 20 bags and more an acre.

In South Africa, where wheat has been grown for hundreds of years, the national average yield under irrigation is just under 10 bags an acre.

Before they had irrigation, the Sherwood farmers’ main crop was maize. Even in a good year they averaged only 10 to 12 bags an acre.

Running through the lands at Sherwood is the Sebakwe-Umniati canal, belonging to the Electricity Supply Commission, which leads from Dutchman’s Pool to the Umniati power station.

When Kariba came into operation the power station no longer required all the canal’s water. Sherwood farmers started negotiations with the ESC and towards the end of 1963 the water became available.

The Sherwood farmers began building night storage dams and raised cement furrows.

Two years ago the farmers bought and installed a pump. They first intended to use the water for summer supplementary irrigation of maize, but soon realised that it would be more profitable to use it for winter irrigation as well.

The first wheat crops were planted in the winter of 1964. In the 1964-65 season, an average yield of 35 bags of maize to the acre was obtained with summer supplementary irrigation.

Farmers in the Sherwood block who planted shortstrawed variety of wheat last year, obtained 24 or even more bags to the acre.