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Agriculture Specialist Writer

THE Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) has planted over 50 percent of this year’s wheat hectarage as harvesting of the crop starts with the nation targeting a bumper yield of 600 000 tonnes.

Statistics released the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) following their recent validation exercise show that ARDA estates, irrigation schemes and joint ventures accounted for 51 percent of all the planted wheat.

The ARDA establishments with a cumulative figure of 1 047 growers has planted 60 405 hectares of the net figure of 119 594. AFC Holdings came second with an area of 16 362 hectares contributed by 199 farmers. The Presidential Input Programme (PIP) came third after cultivating wheat on 10 541 hectares. It has the most growers at 7 999.

Other banks, millers, self-financed farmers and contractors accounted for the remaining 32 286 hectares (27 percent) from 1 597 cultivators.

Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa’s Pricabe Farm of Kwekwe district in Midlands’s province was the pacesetter in harvesting the 2024 wheat crop with others likely to follow suit this week.

During a tour of the farm by Cabinet Ministers, the President, accompanied by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, showcased the First Family’s agricultural endeavours and wheat harvesting.

The First Family is surpassing the highest yields attained by the previous owner, a case in point being maize whose yield has risen from eight to 11, 3 tonnes per hectare.

A post in the Zimbabwe Agriculture Think Tank (ZATT) by one contributor titled ‘Early bird catches the fattest worm’ said one of the advantages of planting the right varieties within the optimal planting window period was assurance of an early start to preparations for the 2024/25 summer cropping season.

“The first block of fields being harvested at Pricabe Farm last Tuesday had Seed Co’s SC Nduna variety and scored an average yield of 7, 6 tonnes per hectare,” said the post.

This is way above the average expected yield of five tonnes per hectare.

Food Crop Contractors Association (FCCA) chairperson, Mr Graeme Murdoch said their members would start wheat harvesting this week

“We expect our first reaping of wheat this week and no member from our organisation harvested last week,” he said.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary, Professor Obert Jiri said: “The 2023/24 agricultural season had the worst drought experienced in 43 years with food crops production dropping 77 percent compared to last season. Having climate-proofed our wheat production, our best foot, to respond to the emotive season, is to ramp up its production this year.”

He was speaking at the recently held Wheat Based Food Security – Zimbabwe’s Best Foot Forward Conference organised by Zimpapers in partnership with his Ministry.

Zimbabwe has a comparative and competitive advantage to plant wheat and this year’s 119 594 hectares can produce 600 000 tonnes of the produce at an average yield of five tonnes per hectare.

Having achieved wheat self-sufficiency and its twinning goal of import substitution since 2022, the thrust of the Second Republic is now on building wheat strategic grain reserves (SGR).

Government turned challenges experienced in the past wheat seasons into enablers by ring-fencing 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity, introducing seasonal water billing, availing enough seed, chemicals and fertiliser, availing finance from Government and private sectors, coordinated monitoring and evaluation, mechanisation, insurance, joint ventures and migratory pest surveillance through use of drone technology.