The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
President Mnangagwa has hailed wheat farmers for this year’s remarkable harvest, which is now expected to top a record 405 000 tonnes, and pledged to support small-scale producers of the cereal in some parts of the country with inputs.
As the Government ratchets up efforts to increase output further, plans are underway to create a greenbelt stretching from Masvingo province to parts of Manicaland, which will be fed by water from Lake Mutirikwi and Manjirenji Dam.
Writing in his column for The Sunday Mail, the President said far-reaching interventions to stimulate enhanced production of wheat were being rolled out, with Government intent on buttressing import substitution, food security and taming inflation.
The projected harvest of 405 000 tonnes is more than the annual demand of 360 000 tonnes, representing a surplus of more than 40 000 tonnes.
At the inception of the Second Republic, production of the cash crop stood at 30 000 tonnes.
“I am overjoyed and quite confident that we will do even better next year, thus making our country a leading wheat-producing nation,” he said.
“I now direct Government to include inputs for wheat under the Presidential Input Scheme to cover and support farmers in Region One and Two where wheat production under micro-irrigation projects is possible.
“These areas include Chimanimani, Chipinge and parts of Nyanga, where our communal farmers have been producing the crop without direct Government assistance.”
Zimbabwe, the President said, rejects the notion that “some provinces, districts or communities are non-agricultural”.
Targeted and adequate investment in needful areas will help stimulate agricultural production throughout the country, he said.
“Who would have ever imagined that wheat would grow and thrive on the Kalahari Sands of Bubi-Lupane, giving our nation handsome harvests?
“Or in Bikita, traditionally known for rain deficits?
“With Tugwi-Mukosi now meeting water requirements for Chiredzi, we now plan to repurpose waters of Lake Mutirikwi and Manjirenji Dam to create a greenbelt all the way to Birchenough.”
Government, he added, had secured adequate equipment to facilitate seamless harvesting of the crop, which is due to commence later this month.
He said the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) Holdings’ leasing company has mobilised 46 combine harvesters to assist farmers in harvesting this record wheat crop.
“That brings our national fleet to 170 combine harvesters.
“We have more equipment coming very soon, so we are adequately mechanised as an Agricultural Economy.”
The interventions’ overarching intention was to secure Zimbabwe’s position as the continent’s breadbasket.
He said through diligent investments and hardworking local farmers, the country will soon reclaim its status.
“Today we are ready to shrug off this mischaracterisation, and to defy ruinous Western sanctions, thanks foremost to our hardworking people, and to the far-sighted post-Land Reform policies and programmes we have pursued under the Second Republic,” he added.
“As the Second Republic, we took a deliberate decision to end hunger and national food insecurity.
“This, we said we would achieve through the twin strategy of mechanising and modernising our Agriculture sector; and through climate-proofing our Agriculture by building more water bodies, followed through by modern irrigation systems.”
It is envisaged that over 350 000 hectares will be put under irrigation as a measure to climate-proof agriculture and secure optimum production, even during drought years.
Already, 175 000 hectares are under irrigation.
“As, too, does our intensified investments in water and irrigation systems under the Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Programme.
“So far, 175 000 hectares are now irrigable under this rehabilitation programme, bringing the national total to 185 000 hectares.
“Our target is 350 000 hectares under irrigation, thus totally climate-proofing our Agriculture for all-season national food security.”
He added: “We will not rest until we achieve our target of 350 000 hectares under irrigation, and until we have enough water bodies to underpin our agriculture, province by province.”
Zimbabwe, he said, must build a resilient agricultural sector that will “sterilise” the country from external shocks such as the conflict in Eastern Europe that could potentially affect food security.
“The conflict in Eastern Europe is for Europeans.
“It is not our war.
“We should never allow such faraway conflicts to import vulnerabilities into our own nations and economic systems.
“Our conflicts here in Africa never affect the West; they never lose sleep because conflicts, diseases or disasters have hit Africa.
“Similarly, our continent must sterilise itself against shocks triggered by faraway conflicts or adversities.
“That means building resilience here on our continent, at national, sub-regional and continental levels.”
