ARDA starts 2025 wheat contracting
THE Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) has started contracting farmers for winter wheat cropping season.
ARDA estates, irrigation schemes and joint ventures accounted for 51 percent of all the planted wheat in the 2024 production season.
In a recent statement to prospective growers, ARDA invited farmers with irrigation facilities for the out-grower scheme.
“The ARDA will be contracting farmers with functional irrigation to produce wheat in the 2025 winter season.
“Eligible growers will be supported with seed, fertiliser and chemicals for their contracted hectarage and the cost of these will be deducted from wheat proceeds at time of marketing.”
Prospective farmers are required to provide their grower identification document (ID), three-year production history, Zimbabwe National Authority (ZINWA) and Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) current account statements.
The growers also need to have title deeds for their farms while for those without, ARDA will facilitate acquisition of these from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
The farm must be assessed by an ARDA agronomist and Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) business advisor.
Government has been working towards increasing wheat production to ensure self-sufficiency.
Briefing the media after a recent Cabinet meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said for the effective rolling out of the 2025 winter plan, the Government assessed 151 major dams to ascertain their capacity to support the country’s irrigation programme.
“As at March 13, 2025, dams across the country’s 10 provinces are 88,5 percent full. The average national levels are above the 82 percent recorded during the same time last season,” he said.
“The 2025 winter cereal production target for three major crops is 135 250 hectares, with wheat on 120 000 hectares, barley on 6 500 hectares and Irish potatoes on 8 750 hectares,” said Dr Muswere.
A target of 600 000 tonnes has been set for wheat this season.
The country requires 360 000 tonnes of wheat for consumption annually.
According to Government critical enablers such as power, water, seed, fertiliser and fuel among others will be availed.
Dr Muswere said other financial support enablers are farmer payments, finance and insurance as well as operational efficiency facilitators comprising mechanisation, co-ordination and contract farming.
Risk management enablers encompassing migratory pests’ surveillance through use of drone technology, land issues, security and veld fire containment measures as well as capacity-building, the policy regulatory environment, soil management, marketing and monitoring and evaluation are also of importance.
The ZETDC has on the other side ring-fenced 150 megawatts for winter wheat production, up from 120 megawatts last year to ensure adequate and uninterrupted power supply for the targeted winter hectarage.
Having achieved wheat self-sufficiency and its twinning goal of import substitution since 2022, the thrust of the Second Republic now is on building wheat strategic grain reserves.
Zimbabwe has over 10 000 dams, coming out tops in the world, and with capacity to irrigate over 500 000 hectares, but is currently managing only 230 000 due to lack of proper infrastructure.-ebsienssweekl
