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Elita Chikwati Senior Agriculture Reporter
Farmers have welcomed the new producer price of wheat but have called on Government to interrogate the whole production chain and ensure production costs remain affordable.

Government has set a wheat producer price for the 2018-19 season agricultural marketing season at $630 per tonne.

Other farmers, however, feel the price should be further increased or Government considers subsidising inputs at manufacturing level so that production costs remain low and the business remains viable.

Some experts have also encouraged farmers to grow high-yielding varieties and follow agronomic practices if wheat is to be a viable enterprise.

Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union director Mr Paul Zakariya said the increase in the wheat producer price was welcome and said there was need to track the costs of production to enable wheat production to remain viable.

“Any upward adjustment of producer prices at the moment is welcome. What needs to be further interrogated is the extent to which such adjustments may go.

“Obviously, the issue of prices in the country has become very topical. It is, however, important to ensure enterprise viability by tracking the costs of production. While this is being assessed, farmers are advised to maximise yields per unit area. Some level of comfort can be derived from that,” he said.

Federation of Farmers’ Unions chairman Mr Wonder Chabikwa said inputs prices had increased since October and was not sure of the actual production costs of wheat.

“Judging from farmers’ expectations of $800 per tonne, it appears this price falls short of the desired increased production. Import parity and cost of production from those sources need to be looked at,” he said.