By Flata Kavinga
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, says the country is working towards increasing its national grain storage capacity to 1.5 million tonnes as part of efforts to strengthen food security.
He was addressing journalists on the sidelines of the launch of the Valley Seeds Limpopo and Zambezi wheat varieties at East Range Subdivision 3 Farm in Ward 1, Zhombe, owned by farmer Douglas Kwande.
Professor Jiri said the winter wheat harvesting season has begun, with Mashonaland Central having already completed harvesting of 20 hectares of the early-planted crop. He noted that Midlands Province has 12,000 hectares under winter wheat this year, representing 10 percent of the national target of 120,000 hectares.
“Kwekwe District alone accounts for 10,000 hectares, making it the hub of winter wheat production in the Midlands,” Jiri said.
He urged farmers to prepare adequately for harvesting and to take advantage of modern storage technologies, including the smart silos launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Kwekwe.
“These silos are automated and fitted with dryers that allow farmers to harvest wheat earlier, even at high moisture levels. With these facilities, our national storage capacity has already risen from about 700,000 tonnes to over one million tonnes, and the aim is to reach 1.5 million tonnes,” he said.
The permanent secretary also encouraged farmers to explore different marketing options beyond the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), which remains the buyer of last resort.
On the launch of new wheat varieties, Professor Jiri said the Limpopo and Zambezi varieties developed by Valley Seeds had shown good performance in their first commercial season.
“Our breeders continue to innovate and provide new genetics to enhance cropping in the face of climate change. These new varieties are designed to improve yields and resilience,” he said.
Zimbabwe is currently implementing a national wheat programme aimed at boosting production to ensure self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imports.
