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Liberty Dube Mutare Bureau
VILLAGERS in Mutsiyabako Village in Mutare South risk losing over 21 tonnes of winter wheat they harvested in August last year under Command Agriculture, as transporters are failing to access the produce due to impassable roads.

The wheat is stashed in a classroom at Mutsiyabako Primary School and is under threat from grain borers, as it was neither treated nor stored under proper conditions for long term storage.

Farmers and villagers interviewed by The Herald said they failed to deliver the Command Agriculture wheat to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) due to the impassable road.

They called on Government to act swiftly, as they were living in abject poverty when they could make ends meet from proceeds from the wheat. Mutare South legislator, Cde Nyasha Chikwinya said the situation was under control.

“We are addressing the issue,” she said. “The situation is under control as we have engaged the council to rehabilitate the roads, which have been impassable.

“We applaud the hard work done by the farmers and we are doing everything in our capacity to ensure that the wheat gets to the GMB. Currently, it has been raining so it was difficult to rehabilitate the Hazi-Mutsiyabako roads.”

One of the farmers at Mutsiyabako Irrigation Scheme, Mr John Kuambirwa said: “We have over 25 tonnes of wheat that has been stocked for about four months now, but they can’t be ferried to the GMB because of road inaccessibility.

“We wish council, our National Assembly member and GMB could address the situation as a matter of urgency. We are now worried because we might also soon harvest about 800 tonnes of maize. We fear the same problem might recur. Government should help us.”