Staff Reporter

Following a successful 2021 wheat cropping season, Zimbabwe is anticipating over 340 000 metric tonnes of wheat, against a national annual requirement of 360 000 metric tonnes, as it journeys towards Vision 2030, a senior Government official has said.

Posting on his Twitter handle, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr John Basera said Government was in the process of upgrading and rehabilitating wheat storage facilities to minimise any challenges associated with storage of the cereal.

“Zimbabwe is projecting over 340 000 metric tonnes of wheat, against an annual requirement of 360 000 metric tonnes. This is the highest ever and new record since 2015 towards flour self-sufficient,” he said.

The 2021 projected 340 000 metric tonnes of wheat is a great achievement considering that in 2020, the country produced 157 000 metric tonnes, while in 2019, only 61 000 metric tonnes were produced.

Minister Mutsvangwa revealed the approval by Cabinet for the upward review of the producer price of wheat, which was presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr. Anxious Masuka, as the Acting Chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on Food Security and Nutrition, saying the development will go a long way in cushioning the wheat farmers.

A few months ago, the Government approved an upward review of the wheat flour producer price to ZW$55 517.69 per metric tonne for ordinary grade wheat at a 15 percent return on investment, and ZW$66 621.22 per MT for premium grade wheat during the 2021 marketing season.  This was meant to cushion wheat farmers and enable them to go back into production.

The upward review of the producer prices was necessitated by changes in input prices, which in turn resulted in higher production costs.

Harvesting of the wheat is currently underway and is expected to be completed by mid-November 2021.

On a different note, Dr Basera said that the Government, starting this 2021/22 farming season would be distributing 10 fruit tree seedlings per household, targeting 2.3 million households by year end.

“This is Game changing and life changing leaving no household, no place behind, as we journey towards Vision 2030,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary emphasised that production, productivity and profitability were the key oilers to the attainment of Vision 2030.