By Derick Tsimba

Government through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement has set targets for National Wheat Production ahead of the 2020/2021 wheat farming season.

Posting on its Twitter handle, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement indicated that it is working to ensure that the nation achieves its National Wheat Production Target by setting the National Wheat Production at 5.2 metric tonnes per hectare adding to the total national output of 416 000 metric tonnes of wheat.

“To be on a sure footing to achieve our National Wheat Production target, the following are the Provincial wheat targets for wheat output at 5.2 metric tonnes per hectare,” said the Ministry.

The highest target set is for Mashonaland West which is expected to plant 35 000 hectares and yield 182 000 metric tonnes of wheat followed by Mashonaland Central with 18 000 hectares and an expected output of 93 600 metric tonnes.

Mashonaland East is expected to plant 12 000 hectares and yield 62 400 metric tonnes of wheat, while Manicaland Province and Midlands are expected to plant 7 000 hectares and 4500 hectares with an expected yield of 36 400 and 23 400 metric tonnes of wheat respectively.  Meanwhile Matebeleland South is expected to plant on 2 000 hectares for a yield of 10 400 metric tonnes of the cereal crop.

Masvingo Province has been targeted to plant 800 hectares to produce 4 160 metric tonnes, Matebeleland North 700 hectares for a production of 3 640 metric tonnes of wheat.

In total the nation is expected to plant 80 000 hectares and yield 416 000 metric tonnes of wheat this 2020/2021 wheat farming season.

The Harare Post has learnt that the Ministry of Lands is stepping up efforts to improve production by wheat farmers. The Highest statistics of wheat production in the country was achieved in 2001 at 325 metric tonnes. This year’s projected production of 416 metric tonnes of wheat is achievable through wheat farming across the eight country’s provinces.