Story by Peter Chivhima
Government says the country is on track to meet its ambitious 2024 winter wheat production target of 600 000 metric tonnes, a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to achieve food security and self-sufficiency.
The nation now approaches the peak of the 2024-2025 winter wheat production cycle, with harvesting expected to commence soon.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri spoke to ZBC News this Wednesday expressing optimism that the country will meet its target.
“So, in line with our wheat-based food security trust, we are now at the twilight end of our wheat production. Most of the wheat is now at a bad-door stage, and in a few two or three weeks we start harvesting. At the moment, yes, we still have our hectares. It has gone nowhere. So, 121,962 hectares, they are still growing in the field. Certainly, at this stage, we are worried about protecting the wheat yield. So, you know, quelea bird control is in full swing. Where we have sightings and where it’s required, we have our teams, the ground force using vehicle-mounted sprayers, using knapsack sprayers, and the air force using drones,” he said.
Professor Jiri also revealed that the government has mobilised close to two hundred combine harvesters to expedite the harvesting of the crop.
“For harvesting, we have 303 combined harvesters across the country, both within government institutions and with the private sector. Particularly for wheat, we have 193 combined harvesters. These are the wheat heads that are able to harvest the wheat. So, those 193 are available to harvest our wheat. Within the government system, the largest contingency is with AFC, where we have 52 working combines out of the 56 combines that they have,” he added.
Government is rolling out several initiatives to boost the country’s wheat production including availing uninterrupted power electricity supply to wheat farmers and the introduction of an aggressive wheat-based food security programme.
