Wheat farmers urged to focus on targets

WITH the winter farming season coming to an end, farmers in Mashonaland West
Province have been urged to focus mainly on attaining targets, taking note of several
factors.
This year, the province missed the targeted hectarage due to a number of reasons,
however, the farmers are looking forward to produce a huge tonnage of the crop.
In a bid to guide farmers, Mashonaland West Acting Provincial Agritex Director, Evelyn
Ndoro, said farmers should not relax but stay on top of their game so that they don’t
lose yield in the end thereby ensuring production targets are attained.
“We have come to the end, but our focus now is mainly on attaining the targets. As a
province, we are looking forward to a minimum or average of five tonnes per hectare for
our wheat, so that we are able to get the production that we need,” said Ndoro.
She said farmers should see to it that their crop is getting enough water since the
temperatures are escalating and also be on the lookout for pests.
“So, we are saying farmers should be on top of their situation in terms of irrigation. They
should put water that is required since our temperatures are on the increase, which
means the water demand level is high.
“Farmers should also be on the lookout for pests and diseases. The major pests at this
stage where the crops are concerned being the quelea birds,” she said.
Last year, Chitomborwizi farmer, Penikati Magwada, experienced a huge loss after he
only harvested 500kg a hectare because of the quelea birds.
Attacks by quelea birds are serious problems that can cause significant crop losses
because the birds account for 95 percent of wheat losses annually. Each bird can feed
on four grammes of wheat a day.
The Government, however, managed to purchase nine spraying drones for eight
provinces in the country to prevent these birds from destroying farmers’ wheat crop.