Winter wheat harvesting begins in Zimbabwe

Farmers across the country have begun harvesting early-planted winter wheat, with others preparing to start soon, aiming for a smooth and timely harvest of the valuable crop. To support this effort, the government has secured 310 combine harvesters, with hopes of exceeding 600,000 tonnes, thanks to an anticipated strong average yield of six to seven tonnes per hectare.

The fleet of 310 combine harvesters is set to process up to 3,900 hectares daily. This season, 121,982 hectares of wheat were planted, surpassing the target of 120,000 hectares.

To maximize the efficient use of the harvesters, the government has introduced winter wheat clusters to streamline logistics and ensure the machinery is allocated to regions based on farmers' needs.

Providing an update on the harvest, Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (Ardas) acting chief director, Leonard Munamati, stated that harvesting began on September 10. "To ensure food security through wheat production, we increased the hectarage, and the crop is now ready for harvesting. Farmers have already started on the early-planted wheat, and we will start releasing harvesting statistics next week," he said.

Munamati explained that the government had identified functional combine harvesters and linked them with farmers to ensure a timely harvest. He also mentioned that the harvesting schedule has been mapped out, with projections for how much land will be harvested between September 20 and the end of October.

Smallholder farmers are being assisted by linking their irrigation schemes to the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) and the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda), both of which have combine harvesters. However, smaller schemes may still rely on traditional sickles for harvesting.

In Matabeleland North, 1,913 hectares were planted with wheat, with harvesting expected to begin in the last week of September. The province has four privately owned combine harvesters, with two more expected to assist. Matabeleland South is also ready to start harvesting, working alongside AFC for loan repayment support. The province is equipped with several combine harvesters, including two at Arda Antelope, and others in Insiza, Beitbridge, and other areas.

Six government-linked organizations are providing support for operating and maintaining the combine harvesters, including AFC Leasing, Arda, the Department of Mechanisation Development, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS), the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), alongside private sector companies and individual farmers.