Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development secretary Dr John Basera has said the government has secured about 300 combine harvesters for the 2022 winter wheat harvesting which commences next month.
Basera told The Sunday Mail on the sidelines of the Hwedza District Annual Agricultural show on Friday that the equipment will be accessed through mechanisation hubs countrywide.
The bulk of the equipment will be accessed through Agricultural Finance Company (AFC) Leasing Company. Said Basera:
300 combine harvesters will be ready for hiring out and they are stationed at over 20 centres, inclusive of AFC commercial bank premises dotted around the country.
They are as close as possible to the farmers who have grown wheat.
For the large-scale farmers, we already have a vehicle under AFC Leasing Company through which we have made available 47 combine harvesters and we intend to add more.
He said a separate programme will witness private sector players leasing out combine harvesters to farmers at a minimum cost.
Basera added Government was presently engaging more private sector players to join the initiative and “they are really happy to work with us as well.”
A record 78 000 hectares (ha) have been put under wheat this season, up from 66 000 ha last year.
The total harvest is projected at 380 000 tonnes against a national annual requirement of about 360 000 tonnes.
Dr Basera said more equipment was being procured from Belarus to enhance farm mechanisation.