Wheat harvesting on course

Harare (New Ziana) – Nearly 250 combine harvesters have been mobilised across the country to hasten winter wheat harvesting to avoid potential losses at the hands of the rains, Cabinet said on Tuesday.

Zimbabwe is expecting a record 380 000 tonnes out of a national requirement of 360 000 tonnes.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the cumulative harvested area so far stood at 31 percent of the total planted area.

“The cumulative harvested area of the 2022 winter wheat crop stands at 23 474 hectares, translating to 31 percent of the planted area. The total production stands at 114 472 metric tonnes of wheat, with the Grain Marketing Board having received about 90 000 metric tonnes of this output,” she said.

“Cabinet is pleased that veld fire incidents continue to decline and that the recent sporadic rains experienced across the country have not damaged the winter wheat crop. A total of 248 combine harvesters and fuel have been mobilised to expedite the harvesting of wheat in the face of impending rains.”

Mutsvangwa said current wheat stocks in the country stood at 159 706 metric tonnes, and this would provide 6.3 months’ cover at a consumption rate of 21 000 metric tonnes per month.

Meanwhile, Mutsvangwa said grain stocks at the GMB as at October 31 stood at 569 259 metric tonnes comprising 489 073 metric tonnes of maize and 80 186 metric tonnes of traditional grains. Using the monthly consumption rate of 49 294 metric tonnes, the available grain would last for 11.5 months.
New Ziana