Herald Reporter
Planting for winter wheat has been extended to June 15 with a total of 47 519 hectares having so far been planted, a figure which is twice that of last year as Government seeks to ramp up production and eliminate imports.

The extension of the deadline, initially targeted for May 15 before another extension to June 10, is expected to boost the tonnage of the crop.

This was said by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa at the 18th post-Cabinet briefing in Harare yesterday.

She said Cabinet had considered and approved a progress report on the 2021 winter wheat and barley planting and summer crops marketing season, presented by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Minister Dr Anxious Masuka.

“Government advises that as at 5 June 2021, a total of 47 519 hectares had been planted to wheat, more than double the area planted at the same time last year.

“The planting deadline has been extended to 15 June 2021 from 10 June and the seeding rate increased from 125 to 150kg/hectare.

“It is estimated that with this extension, 70 000ha to 75 000ha of wheat will be planted, translating to an estimated total production of 315 000ha to 337 500 tonnes,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

On the cotton marketing season that started on May 18 2021 with a producer price of $85/kg for seed cotton delivered to Cottco.

“A price subsidy will be availed to Cottco only, for the Presidential Input Scheme, with part of the payment being in foreign currency at a rate of US$10 per bale.

“Deliveries across the provinces as at 3 June 2021 are as follows: Mashonaland Central, 560,2 tonnes, Mashonaland East, 360 tonnes, Manicaland 764 tonnes, Masvingo, 5 808,6 tonnes, Mashonaland West, 6 256,4 tonnes and Midlands, 2 912,2 metric tonnes.”