Zimbabwe achieves record wheat crop

By Annelie Coleman | 11 November 2024 | 9:00 am

Zimbabwe has, since the beginning of November, harvested a record 518 502t of wheat from 106 230ha. A total of 119 594ha were planted to wheat this year compared with 91 000ha in the previous season, when a crop of 465 546t was achieved.

The government is targeting a wheat crop of 550 000t in the 2024/25 season.

According to the Zimbabwean Agricultural Marketing Authority, the country’s Agricultural and Rural Development Authority estates, irrigation schemes and joint venture initiatives accounted for 51% of the crop so far.

AFC Holdings had planted 16 362ha to wheat, with the Presidential Input Programme achieving 10 541ha, as reported by Zimbabwe Mail, AFC Holdings was established in April 2021 following the Zimbabwean government’s decision to transform Agribank into a one-stop shop for agriculture financing.

Other financial institutions, millers, self-financed farmers and contractors accounted for 32 286ha of wheat plantings.

In a post-Cabinet media briefing earlier this week, Dr Jenfan Muswere, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, said 75t of wheat have been delivered to the Grain Marketing Board to date. According to him, Zimbabwe requires 360 000t of wheat annually.

“While we produced 744 271t of cereals in the previous summer cropping season, we want to increase overall production to 3,3 million tons in the 2024/25 season, on account of the normal to above-normal rainfall that has been predicted,” Muswere said.

He added that the production target for pulses was 819 500t.