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Huge Wheat Deficits Feared

Zimbabwe Standard (Harare)
June 20, 2004

ZIMBABWE will experience severe shortages of bread next year following late invitations to new farmers to venture into wheat production.

The invitations came almost a month after the lapse of the deadline for planting the crop, Standard Business has established.

The government last week frantically courted new farmers at the eleventh hour to take up production of the crop after it became clear that there was very little planting activity taking place. Wheat is normally planted up to May 15 and is harvested in September just before the onset of the rains.

However, after realising that very few farmers were planting the crop, the government sent a SOS message to the newly resettled farmers to take up the challenge and hurriedly plant the crop.

Said the government statement: "In its endeavor to boost the production of wheat in 2004, the government has undertaken to support the targeted production of 100 000 hectares of wheat so those who intend to grow wheat and have not been registered with Arex are encouraged to approach their nearest Arex officers."

("A call has gone out for 100,000 extra subsistence farmers to farm the 100,000 ha". But where will they find an extra 100,000 hoes?)

Added the statement, issued by the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture: "Wheat can be planted from May until about mid-June, but obviously the late planted crop might coincide with the early summer rains thereby making it difficult to harvest the crop."

Last year, early October rains had a devastating effect on the winter crop as it failed to mature properly and some of the crop was declared unsuitable for human consumption.

Out of a normal requirement of 350 000 tonnes per annum only 60 000 tonnes was harvested in 2003/04 down from 80 000 in 2002/3.

(and dare I say it down some more this year)

Many farmers failed to plant this year's crop in time because of the late harvesting of the maize crop. Other A1 and A2 farmers who took up productive farmland formerly owned by white commercial farmers during the violent farm seizures failed to access funding and inputs in time.

(Perhaps they couldn't access funding for that extra hoe in time )

They complain that many financial institutions insist on collateral security before lending any money to the farmers who don't hold any title deeds to the land.

(Evil whitey farmers to blame again)

John Nkomo, the Minister for Special Affairs Responsible for Lands, Lands Reform and Resettlement, recently told a Cabinet meeting that only 33 000 hectares of wheat had been planted so far against a targeted 100 000 hectares.

Agricultural experts say due to late land preparation and planting, this year's wheat harvest could be the smallest since independence in 1980.

(The benefits of a Marxist economy and an insane Robber President)

"The crop will miss the winter temperature to mature properly because the optimum growing conditions are now and not October," said Renson Gasela, the opposition MDC shadow minister for agriculture.

(Not to mention the farmers having no expertise in what they are doing)

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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
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