ZIMBABWE may import nearly 430 000 tonnes of wheat as preparations for the winter cereal crop lag due to underfunding and frequent power outages, the Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU) has said.

Report by Victoria Mtomba

The country has an annual wheat consumption of 450 000 tonnes.

Once regarded as the breadbasket of the region, wheat output last year plunged to less than 20 000 tonnes, a development critics attribute to the chaotic land reform programme embarked on at the turn of the millennium.

In an interview with NewsDay yesterday CFU president Charles Taffs said this year’s winter wheat crop would be a disaster due to lack of funding.

“Winter wheat is going to be a disaster as there is no money in the system. The fundamental for lending is not in place, ” he said.

Taffs said lack of security of tenure had deprived most farmers of funding from local banking institutions. He said 70% of the country’s irrigation infrastructure was currently dormant due to lack of finance.

“We need a policy shift as a country. We will produce under 20 000 tonnes as last year,” he said.

Taffs said the government had to address the emotive issues relating to property rights to restore confidence in the agriculture sector, whose demise has also triggered the collapse of the manufacturing sector.

Turning to the availability of power supplies, Zesa Holdings group chief executive officer Josh Chifamba said ongoing developments at Hwange Thermal Power Station were expected to ease the power outages.

“For winter wheat we plan accordingly with Agricultural Technical Extension Services. We think the investment that has been put through to Hwange for refurbishments is starting to bear fruits as power generation is doing well, ” he said.

In his 2013 National Budget presentation, Finance minister Tendai Biti said various challenges that include erratic power supplies, all served to further undermine production of the irrigated winter wheat crop. Presenting the first quarter state of the economy report last month, Biti said plans were underway to source funds for the winter wheat at a time
when State coffers had dried up owing to other commitments such as a pending election, grain importation and a huge public service wage bill.

“The 2013 winter wheat production programme has financial requirements amounting to $80 million. Various financing options are being considered and pursued to ensure a successful wheat programme,” Biti said, although he did not disclose when the funds would be availed.

While Zimbabwe’s wheat output continues to plunge, the Food and Agriculture Organisation yesterday said global cereal production would increase by 6% to 2 708 billion tonnes this year due to an expected 9,3% rise in coarse grains output and a 5,4% gain in wheat.