Govt orders weekly power reviews to protect farmers

LIVINGSTONE MARUFU

The Government has introduced weekly high-level meetings between the Ministries of Energy and Power Development and Agriculture to monitor electricity supplies and swiftly resolve power disruptions threatening irrigation, Business Times can report.

The outcomes of the meetings will be submitted to Cabinet every week, underscoring the strategic importance Government attaches to protecting wheat production and preserving the country’s hard-won food self-sufficiency.

Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo said the weekly monitoring mechanism would ensure that emerging electricity challenges affecting wheat farmers are identified and addressed without delay.

“Our ministry reports every week to Cabinet details about what is happening, particularly in the agriculture sector with regards to the power situation,” Moyo said.

“We are the only two countries in Africa that are self-sufficient in wheat production, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. But you will see that in both cases, it is the stability of the power sector to supply winter wheat that is critical.”

He noted that while Ethiopia had achieved power stability through the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Zimbabwe was pursuing a different path by carefully managing limited electricity resources.

“In Ethiopia, after it built its Renaissance Dam, it now has that stability. Zimbabwe is trying to build that stability out of scarcity,” Moyo said.

He revealed that Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka has established 98 wheat farmer groups, which meet every Thursday with officials from the Agriculture, Energy and Mines ministries to review electricity supply challenges.

“Those farmer groups meet every Thursday with the Minister of Agriculture together with our own people from the Mines Ministry. We are told where the situation is not good so that we are able to report and react,” he said.

Although the current electricity supply remains relatively stable, Moyo said Government remains vigilant to ensure the reliability of power throughout the winter cropping season.

Zimbabwe is seeking to consolidate the wheat self-sufficiency milestone it achieved in 2022 after decades of dependence on imports.

The country broke a 56-year record that year by harvesting more than 375 000 tonnes of wheat from 78 063 hectares, exceeding the national annual requirement of approximately 360 000 tonnes for the first time.

Production has continued on a strong upward trajectory, rising to 467 905 tonnes from 90 186 hectares in 2023, increasing to 518 502 tonnes from 106 238 hectares in 2024, before reaching a record 640 195 tonnes from 122 146 hectares in 2025.

The sustained growth has strengthened Zimbabwe’s position as one of Africa’s leading wheat producers while significantly enhancing national food security.

Presenting the post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Zhemu Soda said the country had already exceeded its winter wheat planting target.

“Regarding winter wheat production, a total of 128 459 hectares has been planted, surpassing the target of 125 000 hectares by three percent,” Soda said.

He added that the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) had planted 59 880 hectares, representing 92% of its target.

Soda said the Government is maintaining a target of 6 500 hectares under barley and 9 000 hectares for Irish potatoes, with projected potato production of 243 850 metric tonnes.

Meanwhile, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Secretary Professor Obert Jiri said Government is strengthening the Strategic Grain Reserve ahead of the forecast 2026/27 Super El Niño by setting aside grain from successive winter harvests.

“In preparation for the forecasted Super El Niño, Zimbabwe will ring-fence 150 000 tonnes of grain for the Strategic Grain Reserve, secure 150 000 tonnes from this winter’s production and a further 150 000 tonnes from the 2027 winter production. This ensures food security for vulnerable groups,” Prof Jiri said.

He said the projected winter harvest would reinforce Zimbabwe’s food self-sufficiency while boosting strategic grain reserves in anticipation of adverse weather conditions.

The grain reserves form part of broader Government efforts to build climate resilience and cushion vulnerable communities against drought-induced food shortages.

“The response to the predicted Super El Niño in 2026/27 prioritises Pfumvudza/Intwasa and agro-ecological tailoring,” Jiri said.

He added that authorities are also accelerating the production of traditional grains such as sorghum and millet, which are increasingly being promoted as climate-resilient alternatives to maize in the country’s drier regions.