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Precious Manomano

Herald Reporter

THE Second Republic’s investment in wheat production continues to pay off handsomely, as farmers have so far harvested nearly 457 000 tonnes of the crop, representing a new record in wheat production.

Statistics released by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development yesterday show that the average yield per hectare for this season stands at between 5,1 tonnes and 5,3 tonnes.

Harvesting remains in progress, with Mashonaland West, Central and East provinces, which are the key producers, having harvested 99 percent of their wheat. With an average yield of 5,3 tonnes per hectare, Mashonaland Central and Manicaland provinces top the list of wheat production, followed by Mashonaland East at 5,1 tonnes and Mashonaland West province at 4,6 tonnes.

Initially, Zimbabwe had projected a harvest of 440 844 tonnes, but that has already been overtaken after 456 995 tonnes have been harvested.

The massive output was realised from 88 000 hectares of land planted, implying that once harvesting has been completed on about 2 998ha that are outstanding, more wheat would be harvested.

Farmers planted wheat on 90 998 hectares of land this season, a record hectarage on its own.

Interestingly, a national target of 430 000 tonnes of wheat had been projected, which means farmers got more wheat per hectare than was anticipated.

This is the highest wheat output since growing of the crop started in the country in 1966.

While farmers are still harvesting the outstanding crop, the already harvested 456 995 tonnes are way beyond the national annual requirement of 360 000 tonnes.

Last season, Zimbabwe produced 375 000 tonnes of wheat from 81 000ha, and to date, the country holds a national stock of around 140 000 tonnes.

According to a wheat harvesting update dated November 9, 2023 seen by The Herald yesterday, Mashonaland Central has harvested 83 655 tonnes, Mashonaland West 123 482 tonnes, Mashonaland East 86 037 tonnes, Manicaland 60 288 tonnes, Midlands 67 641 tonnes, Masvingo 6 361 tonnes, Matabeleland South 22 705 tonnes, and Matabeleland North 6 826 tonnes.

With a huge wheat harvest, Zimbabwe is guaranteed an uninterrupted supply of bread and other confectioneries. It will also pace up wheat exports to countries in need, on the back of global supply chain challenges due to the war in Ukraine.

Statistics released by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development indicate that farmers have so far harvested 97 percent of the crop, from 90 998ha planted.Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri has encouraged wheat farmers to expedite harvesting of their crop to ensure the remaining 3 percent is completed before heavy rains come.

Recently, Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union (ZCFU) president, Dr Shadreck Makombe, said farmers were doing well in wheat production.

Zimbabwe Indigenous Women Farmers’ Association Trust president Mrs Depinah Nkomo said farmers did well this season because they had enough water for irrigation and electricity.

Government has been increasing wheat production to meet the national requirement in line with the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy, the Agriculture Recovery Plan and the National Development Strategy 1 and in pursuit of the vision of becoming an empowered and prosperous upper-middle income society by 2030.