Zimbabwe just put 313 big harvesting machines to work as crops are nearly ready. The government wants to cut losses after harvest time for what looks like an amazing year of farm products. They plan to add 18 more machines very soon under phase 3 of their farm equipment program.
Engineer Harrison Bhasikoro from the Department of Agricultural Engineering said they aim for 400 machines eventually. Each machine can harvest about 10 hectares every day, which means it can handle roughly 4,000 hectares daily across the country. If they work for 150 straight days, these machines could harvest nearly 700,000 hectares of farmland.
Not every farmer needs these big machines - many will pick crops by hand. The government offers help with shelling and thrashing of the fields for those who need it. Bhasikoro encourages farmers to sign up at local offices if they want these services. Both public groups like ARDA and private companies will help during harvest season.
The country hopes to jump from growing 750,000 tonnes of grains last year to over 3.2 million tonnes this year. Corn production should rocket from 635,000 tonnes to 2.7 million tonnes. Average corn yields may almost double from 0.8 to 1.5 tonnes per hectare. Even traditional grains should grow better - jumping from 180 kilograms to 800 kilograms per hectare.
Engineer Harrison Bhasikoro from the Department of Agricultural Engineering said they aim for 400 machines eventually. Each machine can harvest about 10 hectares every day, which means it can handle roughly 4,000 hectares daily across the country. If they work for 150 straight days, these machines could harvest nearly 700,000 hectares of farmland.
Not every farmer needs these big machines - many will pick crops by hand. The government offers help with shelling and thrashing of the fields for those who need it. Bhasikoro encourages farmers to sign up at local offices if they want these services. Both public groups like ARDA and private companies will help during harvest season.
The country hopes to jump from growing 750,000 tonnes of grains last year to over 3.2 million tonnes this year. Corn production should rocket from 635,000 tonnes to 2.7 million tonnes. Average corn yields may almost double from 0.8 to 1.5 tonnes per hectare. Even traditional grains should grow better - jumping from 180 kilograms to 800 kilograms per hectare.
