Bakeries to contract farmers

BAKERIES will be compelled to contract wheat farmers to grow at least 40 percent of their requirements to improve food production, Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Dr John Basera has said.

Dr Basera said Government did not want bakeries to import all their wheat.

“We have companies such as Bakers Inn, Proton and so on, that we know produce our bread. Now, my question is; have you ever heard that there is a wheat farmer being contracted by any of these companies to produce wheat? Where are they getting their wheat from? That is the fundamental question.”

AT least 10 major irrigation schemes in Masvingo province are set to undergo rehabilitation and expansion using $48 million budgeted for by Treasury under the National Accelerated Irrigation Development Programme (NAIDP).

Once implemented successfully, the development is expected to usher in a new era in food security in the province.

Mushandike and Chilonga irrigation schemes are some of the beneficiaries.

When fully operational, the two irrigation schemes have a combined irrigable hectarage of over 1 000 hectares.

Operations at the 847,5ha Mushandike Irrigation Scheme stopped in August last year after Mushandike Dam, which supplied water to the scheme, dried up owing to drought and massive siltation that forced plot holders to turn to dry-land farming.

Chilonga has not been operating since 2016 after silt submerged the pump station for the scheme in Runde River.

Finance and Economic Development Deputy Minister Clemence Chiduwa, on Monday said Government had already availed funding