Elita Chikwati and Fungai Lupande
More than 49 500 hectares have been planted under wheat with frantic efforts in progress to meet today’s planting deadline, but farmers who have failed to plant are now directed to return all unused inputs to Grain Marketing Board depots by June 20.

According to the Agritex latest update, farmers had planted 49 544 hectares by June 8, as planting continues on irrigated land in all parts of the country.

The country had targeted to put 85 000ha under wheat this winter season.

No one can plant after today as the crop will not mature in time and inputs will be wasted.

“Under the CBZ Agro-Yield, 65 635 hectares have been contracted with 1 363 farmers. This represents nine percent above set target of 60 000 hectares,” said Agritex.

CBZ was given the green light to continue contracting farmers up to 65 000 hectares. But by Tuesday last week, noted Agritex, 25 321 hectares were planted to wheat under CBZ Agro-Yield, just 44 percent of the target, and hence the one week extension in the deadline to give laggards a chance.

The private sector plantings were better in percentage terms. By Tuesday last week, 14 223 hectares had been planted under non-Command wheat, with 13 453ha under the self-financed and private contracts category, representing 90 percent of the 15 000ha that was targeted under private financing.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka, said farmers should continue to plant up to today, with a revised seeding rate of 150kg per hectare.

“Farmers are encouraged to make frantic efforts to plant their wheat ahead of the deadline so that the targeted hectarage is met to ensure our country of national wheat self-sufficiency from this season onwards,” said Minister Masuka.

“This is in line with the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy, the Agriculture Recovery Plan and the National Development Strategy 1 and in pursuit of the noble vision by becoming an empowered and prosperous upper middle income society by 2030.

“In this regard, farmers should account for all the inputs that they have accessed through Government sponsored schemes. All farmers who have not used wheat inputs for these schemes after the planting deadline should return these inputs to their nearest GMB depots by June 20.”

Speaking in Mashonaland Central province during a tour of wheat farms last week, Minister Masuka said farmers will not be allowed to hold inputs for speculative purposes.

Inputs are reportedly in short supply in Mashonaland Central, but there are reports that a number of farmers in the province were stocking unused winter wheat inputs in their homes.

“Farmers must ensure that they have done GPS coordinates because some of the problems can be solved using satellite monitoring,” he said.

“All farmers must ensure that they meet the extended June 15 planting window. We will avail all the necessary inputs so that the country meets its winter wheat target.”

Minister Masuka advised farmers to apply for centre pivots through the Agricultural Finance Corporation and CBZ to access them.

“We have an accelerated irrigation development and rehabilitation plan and this year we want to do 50 000 hectares of centre pivots so that this time next year, we have an additional 50 000 hectares of irrigation so that we never import wheat again.

“Government is strongly supporting irrigation. We have 45 000 hectares of A1 and A2 that we want to put under centre pivots by March next year, in time for winter wheat,” said Minister Masuka.

He said during the visit to Mashonaland Central, he had observed that farmers were enthusiastic.

The minister urged farmers to make stop-order arrangements with Zesa for electricity and Zinwa for water so there were no interruptions in supply.

Mr Webster Nyamakura of Woodbroke South Farm said he was greatly affected by the shortage of inputs and outsourced seed to complete 62 hectares out of his target of 80 hectares.

“I am a full-time farmer and we need assistance to improve productivity and profitability.

“We are happy that the minister came to address some of the challenges that we are facing,” he said.

At Katsiru Farm, Mr Taona Gezi said paperwork and documentation for approval of inputs takes almost three weeks and it affects planting and application of fertilisers.

This season, 60 000 hectares will be produced through a Government guaranteed CBZ Agro-Yield programme, 15 000 hectares will be funded by private contractors and 10 000 hectares will be funded through the Presidential Winter Wheat Scheme.