LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
Power utility, ZESA Holdings, has pledged uninterrupted power supplies during the winter season in a major boost for wheat production, Business Times can report.
ZESA has in the past struggled to provide power supplies for the winter cropping, affecting output.
“ZESA has made a commitment to ring-fence up to about 100 megawatts dedicated specifically to winter wheat farmers,” National Wheat Contract Farming Committee chairman Graeme Murdoch told Business Times.
Most of the country’s major dams are currently reported to be 95% full.
All efforts to get a comment from ZESA were futile.
Zimbabwe is targeting 90,000 hectares of wheat. Out of this, the government is planning 75, 000 hectares and private sector 15,000 hectares.
The hectarage is expected to expand this year with farmers buoyed by last year’s stellar performance of an average of above five tonnes per hectare and good prices exceeding US$500 per tonne.
Murdoch said banks have made a commitment to fund winter wheat for the private sector with most farmers already planting.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Shadreck Makombe said uninterrupted electricity supply would give farmers a huge leap towards self-sufficiency.
“If ZESA gives us power as it has promised, there is a likelihood of the country getting a bumper harvest and moving towards reaching above 350,000 tonnes,” he said.
Makombe said the government should quickly distribute driers to enable farmers with maize to harvest their crop early to prepare for winter wheat.
Last year, the private sector planted 7, 000 hectares from targeted 10, 000 hectares due to fast dwindling water levels in various water sources.
As a result, Zimbabwe harvested over 210, 000 tonnes from 45, 000 hectares under wheat.
With an average of five tonnes per hectare, the country is expected to reach over 450, 000 tonnes of wheat this year.
Zimbabwe requires about 400, 000 tonnes of wheat. It is, however, projected that the country will have an extra 50 000 tonnes of wheat this year.
However, even if the country was to achieve the national requirement the country will still need to import wheat to make good quality bread as local wheat cannot make good quality bread due to conditions in which the wheat is grown under.
This means the country has to import a small percentage of wheat to blend the cereal with local wheat to make good bread.
The country can export its own to get foreign currency to use on other critical raw materials.
The local wheat is very good at manufacturing biscuits and other things.
