Minister targets 110 tonnes wheat harvest
DESPITE being under water rationing, Minister of State for Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Richard Moyo is still expecting a bumper harvest of about 110 tonnes of wheat at his Marsland Farm in Umguza District.
Minister Moyo is one of the farmers in Umguza who are relying on reclaimed water from Bulawayo to irrigate their crops. However, a 120hour water shedding regime adopted by Bulawayo City Council as part of mitigatory efforts to conserve water from its supply dams, whose combined water capacity is at 32 percent, poses a challenge. Marsland Farm manager, Mr Peculiar Moyo’ told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands and Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development yesterday that if the water situation doesn’t improve and with temperatures rising as summer approaches, the total hectarage may be lower than projected. However, they are still confident of achieving their target.
The Parliamentary Committee, chaired by Felix Maburutse, is on a nationwide tour of winter wheat farms, especially those in joint ventures with the Agricultural Rural Development Agency (Arda) and beneficiaries of the Government’s land reform programme.
The programme addressed land imbalances that saw the majority of black Zimbabweans occupying infertile land, while a few whites owned vast tracts of the natural resource.
“We have 39 hectares, but for our winter wheat crop, we utilised 22 hectares, from which we expect to harvest about five tonnes per hectare. We are grateful to Arda for partnering with us, as they provided inputs such as top and bottom dressing fertilisers, among other things. The crop is under irrigation from reclaimed water from Bulawayo, which is being rationed by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa),” said Mr Moyo.
Arda regional manager (Southern) Mr Ndodana Ncube told Parliamentarians that the reclaimed water from Bulawayo, which comes via a canal to feed Umguza Dam, was now limited.
“The solution could be for Zinwa to give preferential treatment to our wheat farmers because this is a matter of national food security. The long-term solution to this challenge is the Lake Gwayi-Shangani water,” said Mr Ncube.
Mr Maburutse, expressed frustration after being told that there was no representative from Zinwa despite the authority having been formally informed and invited to be part of the touring entourage.
“This is unacceptable, as you can see, fellow Parliamentarians that a Government arm has defied us, not only by not availing themselves here, but also at the other farm we started at. It is so unfortunate, but anyhow we will see what to do,” he said.
In Zimbabwe, winter wheat is traditionally planted in May before temperatures drop in June.
Before touring Marsland farm, the committee first visited Thendele Farm, just next to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service’s (ZPCS) Anju Farm. Thendele Farm owner, Mr Charles Makhula, a civil servant, also has wheat which he planted on a 29-hectare piece of land. He said he is expecting to harvest at least five tonnes per hectare, giving him 145 tonnes in total harvest.
“I got this farm under the land reform programme in 2006. Every year we grow two types of crops, wheat and maize, and as for maize, we usually harvest about 120 tonnes,” said Mr Makhula.