Winter wheat farm audits in progress
FARM audits are in progress countrywide to ensure winter wheat farmers are adequately equipped for maximum yields, Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Professor Obert Jiri yesterday in Goromonzi after touring three farms.
Among targeted areas for corrective intervention would be measures to ensure an adequate supply of water and electricity.
Prof Jiri said farm auditing would allow farmers to access adequate water for irrigation and authorities would be able to assess the conditions of dams.
Winter wheat planting is at full throttle nationwide and the Government has introduced measures to ensure the success of the season.
Zinwa and Zesa have assured wheat farmers that they will receive adequate water and electricity supplies.
“Power and water are critical issues. ZINWA is on a countrywide audit farmerby-farmer seeing the specific farmer situation. So far they have audited hectarages up to 35 000ha which they are verifying. By attending to the specific farmer problems this will ensure that farmers can do the hectarage they require. Some of the challenges are simply because there was no communication between the Zinwa team and the farmer.
“For example here in Mashonaland East at Safari Dam, the dam was very low, but it is fed from Zawe Dam which is much bigger. Lack of communication has led farmers around Safari Dam to abandon wheat production, but after the delta, the Caprivi Strip of Namibia, the southeastern part of Angola, southwestern Zambia, the northern wildlands of Botswana and western Zimbabwe.
The centre of this area is at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers where the borders of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe converge.
It incorporates a number of notable national parks and nature sites, including Chobe, Hwange and the Victoria Falls.
The region is home to a population of approximately 250 000 animals including the largest population of African elephants in the world. intervention Zawe Dam was opened and Safari Dam is now ready to irrigate 200ha of wheat farmers are planting,” he said. Goromonzi farmers said if water challenges were addressed, they could produce better yields.
The Member of Parliament for Murehwa South, Cde Noah Mangondo of Tyron Farm in Goromonzi, said he was failing to properly irrigate his crop due to electricity supply problems.
Mrs Zivai Samudzimu of Pepsia Farm said so far she had planted 40ha of wheat, with the farm targeting 1000ha this season.
Chivaraidzo Farm manager Mr Arthur Stedall said they had a target of 400ha.
“We face a lot of challenges, but we try to meet our deadlines. Electricity supply has improved, so we are aiming to produce better results,” he said.