The Sunday Mail
While sadza is the country’s staple food, many people still consume wheat baked products on a daily basis. Statistics show that close to a million loaves of bread are consumed daily across the country. Then there are the pizzas, biscuits, pies and cakes.
Nutritionists have predicted that baked flour products will feature more prominently on the country’s diet, especially considering that the maize crop has been performing badly in the last decade.
This growing demand has the potential to boost the baking industry through creating employment.
Yet local wheat farming seems to have plunged into deep waters years ago.
Reviving this ailing sector could ultimately improve livelihoods.
Sadly, experts in the sector are of the opinion that wheat farming is no longer sustainable in the country.
Some agronomists have even suggested that it is time to give up wheat production and import the crop.
“Under the current conditions, it is not viable to grow wheat in Zimbabwe,” said Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president, Mr Wonder Chabikwa.
The country started winter wheat farming in the 1960s when the then colonial regime was placed under economic sanctions by Britain and the United Nations.
The economic sanctions made it difficult for the Rhodesian government to secure wheat imports, thereby forcing it to resort to internal production.
The yields grew steadily but only recorded meaningful figures after lndependence in 1980. lt reached its peak in 2001 when 325 000 metric tonnes of wheat were harvested, as shown by the world statistics database – Index Mundi.
However, the yields took a massive nosedive in 2002, declining to 150 000 metric tonnes.
There has been a continuos sharp decline since then with the lowest figure being the 12 000 metric tonnes recorded in 2009.
Last year, only 20 000 metric tonnes of wheat were harvested.
Mr Chabikwa believes that the cost of production has adversely affected the sector.
“The current cost of production and the producer selling prices do not really correspond. It costs about $2 900 to grow a hectare of wheat and with most farmers producing only four tonnes per hectare, they are spending approximately $700 to produce a tonne.
“Most buyers are offering between $300 to $400 per tonne while the Grain Marketing Board is offering $500 per tonne which is far much lower than the production cost. Therefore, farmers should aim to produce between six and seven tonnes per hectare to break even.
Mr Chabikwa said imports are arriving from countries such as Canada and Turkey at only $375 per tonne.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union executive director, Mr Paul Zakariya, concurred with Mr Chabikwa.
“Wheat production is decreasing in Zimbabwe because most farmers are facing challenges in financing the production of the crop,” he said.
“Government should subsidise the cost of wheat production. There should be competitive prices to lure local buyers to buy locally produced wheat.”
According to Agritex’s gross margin budget for wheat, the total variable cost of producing five tonnes of wheat is $2 944,81, which translates to about $600 per tonne.
Even if they sell at GMB’s $500 per tonne, the farmer will still record a loss.
For those who manage to produce seven tonnes per hectare at the same costs and prices, they will only get a marginal profit.
Irrigation constitutes much of the production costs, with about $1 500 in electricity and water required to irrigate a hectare.
Officials in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development said Government is keen on funding and reviving the wheat sector.
The ministry’s deputy minister (Cropping and Irrigation), Davis Marapira, said farmers could access bank loans and enjoy lower water and power tariffs and a producer price of $500 per tonne for the current season.
“With financial inclusion and the Agricultural and Rural Credit Policy now taking centre stage, small-scale farmers can get bank loans for winter wheat without collateral.
“A huge chunk of the $1 billion allocated to farmers late last year is still available.
“That money was not exhausted as many farmers did not plant due to the El Nino phenomenon.
“Wheat production is expected to bounce back in a big way as we are tackling all major impediments. The Zimbabwe National Water Authority has halved water charges. Zesa has provisionally agreed to do the same with electricity tariffs,” he said.
Zinwa reduced water tariffs for A2, A1 and communal farmers by between 27 and 56 percent on December 1 last year. A2 farmers who used to pay $6,82 per megalitre (1 million litres) of water are now paying $5.
“A1 farmers are now paying $3 per megalitre, down from $5 while communal farmers are now required to pay $2 instead of $4,50 per megalitre.
The funds are used to maintain the water sources.
Deputy minister Marapira said Zimbabwe’s wheat production can improve through subsidisation of production costs.
