Nqobile Bhebhe ,Zimbabwe:
Farmers intending to take part in winter wheat production have been urged to plant on May 1 in order to realize good yields.
Crops experts say, farmers who plant anytime from May 15, stand to lose up to 50kg, hence adherence to set days is encouraged.
Rains tend to affect the crop hence having an impact on the yields.
About 65 000 hectares is earmarked for winter wheat.
According to Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) executive director Paul Zakariya, farmers are winding down land preparations.
“We are happy that our farmers are running round the clock to finish off winter wheat land preparations.
“Some farmers have received inputs, but we want the process to be paced up to ensure that we plant on time. If the farmers can access inputs early and beat the June 10 window period, we will get a good harvest,” he said as quoted by state media.
Agriculture, Lands and Resettlement Deputy Minister Davis Marapira said farmers will be getting inputs support from Government through the Command Agriculture programme.
However, others will self-finance production.
Wheat output had been declining in recent years, as a result of frequent droughts and land resettlement exercise, which had displaced many productive farmers.
To stem this decline in production, government last year initiated the Special Winter Wheat Production programme to boost wheat cultivation.
Zimbabwe requires 400 000t of wheat every year to meet demand, but with local production far below this requirement, 85% of the outstanding amount had to be imported.
Marapira says “Our ultimate goal is to reduce our wheat import bill by making sure that this year we produce at least half of the nation’s annual wheat consumption of 400 000 tonnes”.
Wheat grows best in cool, moist conditions followed by warm and dry weather.
Farmers are advised to use high quality seed that is free from disease to realise high yields.
Most popular seed varieties are Triticum aestivum, Triticum compactum and Triticum durum.
During wheat growing, soil humidity must be maintained at 31 to 38 centimeters of water in the ground to produce a good crop.
Farmers should have irrigation facilities in place since the season is characterised by temperatures ranging between 21 to 24 degrees Celsius.
