Story by Peter Chivhima
MORE than 1 200 hectares of winter wheat have already been planted since April, as the country moves toward meeting the government’s ambitious target of 120 000 hectares.
Farmers across various regions of the country have begun planting wheat, marking the onset of a crucial winter cropping season aimed at bolstering national food security.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, gave an update on the hectares already planted under the winter wheat programme.
“The winter wheat planting season officially began on May 1 and will run until May 31. However, some farmers, familiar with their regions, began planting as early as April. By Monday, 1 200 hectares had already been planted across the country,” he said.
The government is intensifying efforts to ring-fence wheat farmers through targeted support measures aimed at safeguarding inputs and boosting productivity.
“We are also tracking ZINWA, where we know that 69 percent of the production is supported by large dams. We are also tracking various other enablers of the winter wheat programming at the national level, but also at sub-national level, so it’s all systems go for the window with a farmer,” Professor Jiri noted.
The government has this year set a target of 120 000 hectares for wheat production with the Presidential Scheme expected to contribute 5 000 hectares in an effort to achieve wheat-based food security.
