Power boost for wheat farmers

GOVERNMENT has assured winter wheat farmers of uninterrupted water and electricity supply this season.

There are indications of a good harvest.

This comes after Government made arrangements with Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) and Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) to supply farmers uninterruptedly.

An estimated 65 000 hectares of winter wheat are expected to be put under the command wheat scheme with a considerable number of farmers having already planted their crop.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made told The Sunday Mail that uninterrupted electricity and water supply will change the dynamics of wheat farming in the country.

“No farmer who is planting his or her winter wheat will be turned off in terms of electricity and water as we have discussed with Zinwa and Zesa respectively and they have agreed to sign farmers’ stop orders, which means they will pay upon delivery.

“This will see farmers surrendering a certain tonnage that will cover the cost of various inputs that include water and power costs.

“We agreed that rates for the farmers should be lower compared to other industries as they are primary producers of many raw materials. They don’t make huge profits since they don’t add value to products like other industries.

“The crop should be allowed to mature first so that the farmer can pay later as winter wheat requires a great deal of water at the early stages of its growth…”, said Dr Made.

The Command Agriculture programme which started this season with maize production has now shifted to winter wheat, with thousands of farmers already planting the irrigated crop.

Farmers who are voluntarily taking up wheat production will be provided with all the inputs as was the case with maize.

Upon harvesting, farmers will be expected to deliver an agreed tonnage to the Grain Marketing Board as repayment for the loan advanced to them in the form of inputs such as wheat seed, fertilisers, chemicals and tillage services.

Many farmers with irrigation infrastructure have in the past failed to grow wheat because of lack of financial resources to buy the inputs, a gap that Government has bridged through Command Agriculture and specifically command winter wheat production.

Dr Made is confident of reaching the 65 000 ha target by May 21 (today) and encouarged those planting after this date to use short maturity varieties.

“Though we are still on target, we should be done with the planting by May 21… We are urging those who would have missed that deadline to plant short season varieties up to June 10 or June 15.

“We have all the chemicals in all the wheat growing areas in case some diseases sprout due to this late planting and we are on high alert for the fall armyworm and quail birds which are a problem in the late stage of maturity.”

Minister Made said the wheat that has been planted is already in need of the top dressing fertiliser and Government is working around the clock to ensure that farmers have adequate top dressing fertiliser on time so as to boost production.

Other than wheat, burley is also grown under contract farming with beer brewing companies like Delta. Sakunda, which is working closely with Government under this year’s command wheat scheme, has mobilised resources for 50 000 hectares.

Government expects to harvest in excess of 325 000 tonnes of wheat against the national demand of 400 000 tonnes.