As harvesting of the early planted winter wheat draws near, Government has taken the proactive step of securing 310 combine harvesters to guarantee a seamless and timely reaping of the valuable cereal.
Speaking to The Herald yesterday, Agricultural Engineering, Mechanisation, Farm Infrastructure Development and Soil Conservation chief director, Engineer Edwin Zimunga said they were geared up and ready with all modalities in place for winter wheat harvesting.
"We have 310 combine harvesters on standby across different clusters, which the department will coordinate to match the specific harvesting needs and schedules of individual farmers," said Engineer Zimunga.
There are six Government-linked companies and organisations that offer services and support for operating and maintaining combine harvesters complemented by individual farmers as well as private sector agricultural companies.
These include the Agricultural Financing Company (AFC) Leasing, the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) the Department of Mechanisation Development, the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS), the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF).
"Through these public-private initiatives we aim to leverage the resources, expertise and reach of both the Government and the private sector to enhance the overall winter wheat harvesting process," said Engineer Zimunga.
The Agricultural Engineering, Mechanisation, Farm Infrastructure Development and Soil Conservation department has set a dry rate of US$80 per hectare for Government linked organisations and US$100 for private players.
"The wet rate is US$110 per hectare for Government service providers and US$130 for private sector companies," said Engineer Zimunga underlining how the rate card serves as a benchmark to ensure that farmers have access to affordable and standardised harvesting options.
The Government's concerted efforts to augment the winter wheat harvesting programme have seen 96 percent of winter wheat farmers now directly linked to a combine harvester.
"We implore the remaining four percent of farmers who have not yet been linked to a combine harvester to reach out to the national command centre, where we as a department can coordinate the allocation of the remaining harvesting equipment," said Engineer Zimunga.
The country is anticipating a bumper wheat harvest this season, with projections suggesting 600 000 tonnes from the planted 121 000 hectares.
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https://www.herald.co.zw/winter-wheat-pictures-that-will-take-your-breath-away/
https://www.herald.co.zw/winter-wheat-hectarage-surpasses-target/
To optimise the deployment and utilisation of combine harvesters, Government has also established winter wheat clusters to streamline logistics and service provision associated with the essential harvesting equipment.
"This clustering model allows for targeted allocation of the 310 combine harvesters, ensuring that the machinery is deployed in a manner that best serves the needs of farmers within each designated region," said Engineer Zimunga.
The 310-combine harvester fleet is set to process up to 3 900 hectares per day.
"At the high end, the largest and most powerful machines can each handle up to 40 hectares per day, while the more compact, entry-level models are capable of harvesting five hectares daily," said Engineer Zimunga highlighting that by carefully balancing the deployment of high-capacity and lower-capacity combine harvesters within each cluster, they had managed to establish a robust harvesting system.
Government has also deployed 108 dyers across the country.
"The dyers have a total drying capacity of 96 tonnes per day and this guarantees that we protect the harvest in case we receive rains early," said Engineer Zimunga.
