Story by Tapiwa Machemedze
GOVERNMENT has warned illegal chrome miners in Mashonaland Central Province to stop destructive practices that are damaging water bodies and undermining wheat production, with Guruve District emerging as a hotspot.
Authorities say the washing of chrome in rivers and dams is degrading critical water sources, directly affecting irrigation capacity and reducing planted hectarage.
Mashonaland Central’s wheat target has steadily declined from 29 000 hectares two years ago to 27 000 last year, and now 25 000 hectares this season.
Addressing farmers at a wheat planting seminar in Guruve, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Christopher Magomo, warned that continued environmental damage could further erode production.
“We want mining to be carried out sustainably… our wheat target is decreasing every year because water bodies are being destroyed,” he said.
“Mwenje Dam is less than 50 percent full, and Mazowe Dam is only about 13 percent full, largely because their ecosystems have been disturbed.”
With the winter wheat planting window opening on May 1, irrigation schemes are racing to stay on track despite the constraints.
At Siyalima Irrigation Scheme in Guruve, chairperson Charles Shokora said preparations are underway to plant 50 hectares in partnership with the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) and AFC.
Across the district, about 150 hectares have been planted so far against a target of 1 500 hectares, with farmers and input suppliers at varying stages of readiness.
Last season, the province exceeded expectations, planting 27 910 hectares against a 27 000-hectare target, with an average yield of 5.8 tonnes per hectare.
Despite mounting environmental pressures, Government says it is scaling up support through production schemes, while private contractors are also stepping in to safeguard wheat output and national food security.
