The Sunday Mail
Evelyn Matimbire and Comfort Mhaka
Over 60 percent of this year’s winter wheat crop is in good condition, with harvesting of the cereal set to begin.
A new report from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development shows that more than 60 percent of the crop in Mashonaland East province is in good condition.
“In Mashonaland Central, 60 percent of the crop is at the soft dough stage, 25 percent at the hard dough stage and 15 percent at physiological maturity stage,” says the report.
“Harvesting of the early planted crop has commenced in Mashonaland Central and seven hectares of wheat have so far been harvested, giving an average yield of three tonnes per ha. In Manicaland, the bulk of the crop is at the soft dough stage, constituting 39 percent of the planted area, hard dough stage 30 percent and flowering (at) 27 percent of the planted area.”
Quelea bird control is in progress in the province, adds the report.
The bulk of the crop in Manicaland is also reportedly in good condition.
“In Mashonaland West, the crop is in good condition and 60 percent of the wheat crop is at the soft dough stage, 35 percent at the hard dough stage and 5 percent at maturity stage.”
Harvesting in the province is yet to commence, while “farmers are sourcing combine harvesters and fuel”.
“In Matabeleland, the bulk of the crop is at the soft dough stage, which is 58,1 percent of the planted area, and 13,5 percent is at flowering stage.”
Preparations for harvesting are gathering momentum. Already, 200 combine harvesters have been mobilised.
“The majority of the combine harvesters have either been configured or are being reconfigured to harvest wheat,” says the report.
“Wheat harvesting is set to start by September 15 (last week) for farmers who planted the early crop.”
Agricultural Finance Company (AFC) Holdings Leasing Company has already deployed 46 combine harvesters, with Mashonaland Central getting 10, Mashonaland East six, Mashonaland West 18, Manicaland two, Masvingo one, Matabeleland North one, Harare three and AFC Mount Hampden five.
“AFC and ARDA (Agricultural and Rural Development Authority) will have low-bed trucks to ferry combines from one district to the next for winter wheat harvesting. For storage, GMB is ready for the massive intake of approximately 400 000 tonnes of wheat.”
Agricultural, Technical and Extension Services specialist Ms Rutendo Nhongonhema said farmers should use best practices during harvesting.
“Wheat farmers should form cluster harvest groups, which makes it cheaper for them to hire combine harvesters,” she said.
“If half of the wheat is now in the browning stage, farmers are urged to stop irrigating the crop and start counting the number of days to maturity.”
She urged farmers to desist from using chemicals to dry their crop to avoid affecting its quality and weight.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union executive director Dr Shadreck Makombe said farmers must plan properly before harvesting.
“The harvesting of winter wheat is progressing well as we approach the peak harvesting point. To date, combine harvesters are not yet overwhelmed,” he said.
