Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme chairperson Mr Gerald Khumalo inspects a wheat crop

FARMERS at Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme, one of the Government’s flagship projects in Matabeleland North Province have started planting maize under 180 hectares, with an additional 400 hectares of land being cleared for the next wheat season that commences in May.

In September, President Mnangagwa launched the Arda Vision 2030 accelerator model programme at Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme meant to stimulate rural industrialisation through agricultural development in line with Vision 2030, which is anchored on driving the country’s economy into upper-middle income status.

Under the model, each district across the country will have 200 hectares under irrigation with the beneficiaries being locals.

The programme will be replicated across all 450 Arda irrigation schemes to spur the growth needed in the smallholder sector and boost rural development.

Crop rotation is practiced at the scheme where subsistence agriculture at household level is being transformed into commercial agriculture as part of rural development and industrialisation in line with Vision 2030.

The maize which is now being planted is being put on the same 180 hectares that was under wheat, whose harvest was completed last week.

Farmers are expecting to realise 900 tonnes from the winter wheat that was planted at the irrigation scheme which is situated in Mpofu Village under Chief Mabhikwa and has been turned into a green belt symbolising hope for nearly 100 families. In an interview, ARDA’s chief executive officer (CEO), Mr Tinotenda Mhiko said they finished harvesting wheat last Wednesday and yesterday they started planting maize which they are hoping to finish by the end of this month.

“We have just finished harvesting wheat which we started in October this year. We have bags waiting for delivery and they are still bagging it, so at present we don’t have accurate figures on the number of tonnes that we will get since they haven’t finished bagging the last harvest. However, yesterday we started planting maize although we were disturbed by fuel shortages but we will continue tomorrow as we are hoping to finish planting of maize by the end of this month,” he said.

“This summer we have already started planting maize on the available 180 hectares where we are anticipating to produce at least 1 080 tonnes of the staple grain. Farmers are working very hard so that we can be done with planting maize on time.”

Mr Mhiko said land clearing is underway to pave way for an additional 400 hectares which will be put under winter wheat next year.

He said the scheme is expected to produce 7 700 tonnes of both wheat and maize annually.
“The scheme is expected to produce 7 700 tonnes of grain annually, split to 3 500 and 4 200 tonnes of wheat and maize respectively once the additional irrigation infrastructure has been commissioned. We hope to have a bumper harvest as we continue to improve our management practices and efficiencies in the next coming seasons,” said Mr Mhiko.

He hailed the Second Republic for championing agriculture and said work at the scheme helps the country achieve Vision 2030.

“The scheme is a success story of ARDA’s Vision 2030 accelerator model which is an implementing plan of the Government’s vision 2030 goal of attaining a successful and upper middle-income society by 2030,” said Mr Mhiko.

The country is expecting at least 340 000 tonnes of wheat this year. The country recorded its highest ever single wheat harvest in 1990 with 325 000 tonnes of the cereal being realised.

Zimbabwe needs at least 360 000 tonnes of wheat annually, with the projected 340 000 tonnes expected to reduce the import bill.

In 2019 farmers produced 220 000 tonnes of wheat from 45 000 hectares but this winter over 320 000 tonnes of the cereal are expected from the 66 400 hectares put under the crop

If the country meets its target of 340 000 tonnes, it means there would be enough for its requirements for the first time since commercial wheat farming started in the 1960s.– @TichaKarubwa