MASVINGO Province has surpassed its 2100 hectares winter wheat target despite
Mwenezana Estates which usually contributes the bulk hectarage failed to do so.
By close of the planting season, the province had surpassed the target by 38
hectares, taking the provincial hectarage to 2138 hectare, and therefore optimistic of
a good yield.
In an interview, the Provincial Director Agricultural Advisory Rural Development
Services (Agritex), Caristo Masiiwa, said most of the farmers in the province
benefited through the Presidential Input programme, while a few benefited through
the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme by CBZ and AFC banks.
“As a province, we had a target of 2100 ha to put under wheat, and traditionally we
have been working with Tongaat Huletts, which has for the past two years has been
putting 600 ha to contribute to the 2100 ha but unfortunately this year Tongaat did
not put wheat to that land. We were a bit worried as a province but we managed to
beat our target without the 600 ha that we were looking for from Mwenezana
Estates,” he said.
“The bulk of the wheat crop is in Masvingo District. We have significant hectarage in
Gutu District. All the other districts do have wheat, in Mwenezi we have around 13
ha, in Chivi we have irrigation schemes like Nyahombe and Banga, and in Zaka we
have the Fuve Panganai and other schemes. In Bikita we have few irrigation
schemes that put wheat but the major wheat producing districts are Masvingo and
Gutu and by the time we closed the planting window in June we had 2138 ha.”
He said those under the Presidential input scheme have received fertilisers on time
and the province is looking forward to surpassing last year’s three tonnes per
hectare to five tonnes per hectare.
“Most of the farmers under the Presidential wheat programme got their seeds on
time and they got their fertilisers across the province and they have now received
their top dressing. I am sure we should be able to get a good crop in terms of yield.
“We are targeting at least five tonnes per hectare. Last year we managed to do
about three tonnes per hectare and part of the crop was late crop, but this time some
of farmers planted early and the crop is promising. We are still hopeful to push up
the yield.”