Zimbabwe is targeting a 33% increase in wheat plantings this year, despite the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon on the rainfall season, according to a government official. The country typically grows wheat during the southern hemisphere winter, starting around May, with the entire crop being irrigated using dammed water.
Amid significant maize import requirements due to El Nino-induced drought, Zimbabwe is projecting a wheat harvest of 624,000 metric tons this year, compared to 465,458 tons in the previous year. Despite experiencing one of its most severe droughts on record during the 2023/24 summer cropping season, the country believes it has sufficient irrigation capacity to support a larger wheat crop.
Deputy agriculture minister Vangelis Haritatos emphasized that there are indications of adequate irrigation water for the winter crop, with the total national planting hectarage increasing from 90,192 hectares to 120,000 hectares. The government has also reduced the cost of water supplied to irrigated farms by 31% in an effort to stimulate production.
However, some farmers have expressed intentions to reduce plantings due to national dam water levels being 10 percentage points lower than the seasonal average. Private contractors, including the Food Crop Contractors Association (FCCA), have indicated a reduction in contracted plantings, with plans to fund a smaller area for wheat cultivation compared to the previous year.