Story by Mercy Bofu-Matinha
Joint ventures between the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) and commercial farmers are proving to be successful, with Nyuni Farm in Masvingo being a case in point.
The farm has a thriving wheat crop on a 50 hectare piece of land.
Operations Manager at the farm, Ms Maria Makwara said they are expecting a yield of between 5.8 tonnes to 6 tonnes per hectare after getting support from the government.
“This season we worked with ARDA and they supported us through inputs, pesticides and technical support. Again, we benefitted from the government’s mechanisation programme hence we are witnessing this thriving crop. We are expecting between 5.8 and 6 tonnes per hectare if all goes well.”
The joint Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement and the thematic Committee on Peace and Security, which was in Masvingo for a fact-finding mission on wheat production, said they are convinced that if fully supported, wheat farmers have the potential to produce more wheat.
“We are on a fact-finding mission as a joint committee and today we visited Mutimurefu Prison Farm where they put up 35 hectares under wheat, now we are at Nyuni Farm where we are seeing results of a partnership between ARDA and the farmer here.
“We have recommended them to increase hectarage in future but generally, we have seen that our farmers have got the potential to produce wheat if fully supported,” said the chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement, Honourable Fellix Maburutse.
Wheat farmers were encouraged to continue working with extension workers as they scout for pests and diseases to ensure maximum yields.
Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development’s Provincial Director, Mr Caleb Mahoya said, “As a province, much of our wheat is now at a late vegetative stage and we are calling upon our farmers to continue irrigating, scouting for pests and diseases working with our extension workers. So far, overally we are expecting a better yield hence we continue monitoring our wheat throughout the province.”
Masvingo province managed to put more than 3500 hectares under wheat this season.
