All in place for wheat harvesting

Source: The Herald – Breaking news.

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Precious Manomano, Herald Reporter

PREPARATIONS for harvesting winter wheat are now in place, with stakeholders working closely to ensure a smooth operation.

The Government has secured 193 combine harvesters through the Agricultural Finance Company’s leasing arm and private sector to help farmers bring in the record harvest of more than 600 000 tonnes.

About 121 000 hectares were put under winter wheat this year and this is expected to produce over 600 000 tonnes, smashing the previous record of 468 000 tonnes produced last season.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri said the Government was ready to assist farmers in harvesting wheat on time, adding that no wheat should be affected by the early rains or veld fires.

In some areas, farmers have already started harvesting the crop, but most wheat still requires another three to four weeks in the ground before harvesting moves into high gear.

“We are now going towards the tail end of our wheat production season. We are left with three or four weeks of production and some have started to harvest small hectarages. We have prepared adequately and we hope that apart from rains that may come early we should be able to finish all our harvesting in good time.

“Everything is lined up, so we have also put in place mechanisms to ensure that the trucks are on standby to ensure that as soon as a combine harvester finishes in one area it will then be mobilised to another area. So we are lined up to ensure that we finish harvesting as quickly as possible,” he said.

Prof Jiri said dates of planting would guide farmers on the actual dates of harvesting. Farmers in joint ventures with the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) had also partnered with AFC Leasing to ensure that the harvesting is done on time.

There was adequate drying capacity for those that need to quickly transition from the winter to the summer cropping season.