MUTARE Growing power cuts have negatively affected wheat production with some major farming areas in Manicaland failing to irrigate crops for a month, an official said last week.On the sidelines of a provincial development committee meeting held in Mutare, John Muchambo of the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) said that power cuts had adversely affected wheat farming this season.
“Wheat has not been irrigated for a month in the main wheat producing areas. We are having interrupted power supplies of 19 to 20 hours contrary to the 21 hours of uninterrupted power supply that had been promised by ZESA,” he said.
Some farming areas where getting electricity for only five hours a day according to Muchambo, which was inadequate for wheat irrigation. He said there was a need for stakeholders to come together to solve the problems facing Hwange Colliery Company and ZESA.
“The viability of wheat farmers has been seriously threatened and the biggest challenge is remaining in the farming industry,” he said. Muchambo said smaller wheat farming areas had also been affected. ZESA had intensified power cuts to residential areas in a bid to give more supplies to farmers.
Post published in: Agriculture