Wheat farmers in Mashonaland Central province have bemoaned the ongoing power cuts across the country, saying that they negatively affect winter wheat farming.
This was revealed by a farmer, retired Colonel Creden Kanouruka, who was hosting a field day last week at Zanadu Farm in Concession. Speaking to Lands Minister, he said:
Honourable minister, the farmers are crying foul over the on-going load-shedding. It is hindering our projects and our target of 60 000 hectares this season will not be achievable.
May the government put this into consideration since we need electricity for irrigation purposes.
Meanwhile, Lands Minister Perrance Shiri promised the farmers that the country’s power utility, (ZESA) will avail uninterrupted electricity supplies. Said Shiri:
We understand the challenge to do with power and we have put a special arrangement with the ministry responsible for Zesa. It has assured us that it is going to make power available for wheat farmers.
As the government, we have already started to make fuel available for wheat farmers. We are directing GMB to release Presidential inputs to wheat farmers so that they get to start their projects now.
The debilitating power cuts have also affected learning in schools as Computer Science and other practical subjects cannot be done.