Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has increased its hectarage for the winter wheat season from 79 000 hectares (ha) last winter to 90 000ha this winter season.

This came out during a Winter Wheat Launch held at Enock Marisa’s homestead in Chirumanzu District yesterday. The Winter Wheat Launch was held under the theme, ‘going for growth’ and was meant to urge wheat farmers to increase the wheat planting area so as to improve the yields.

A representative from the Ministry revealed that Government was aiming to increase national wheat production in line with National Development Strategy 1, the Agriculture Recovery Plan and the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy in pursuit of Vision 2030 of Zimbabwe becoming an empowered and prosperous upper middle income society.

“As the country moves toward self-sustainance, the Government aims to increase wheat yield this year as compared to last year where 380 000 tonnes of wheat were produced from 79 000 hectares,” said the representative.

The same representative revealed that in Lupane District, farmers had been producing good yields of wheat as well as maize and sunflower harvests through the Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme, and that has created sustainable and regular stable incomes for the farmers in the community.

Meanwhile, the irrigation schemes established by the Government nationwide have helped wheat farmers and other farmers to produce good yields and to assist in the country’s food security agenda.