Page 6 - aruba-today-20221027

A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 27 OcTOber 2022
Zimbabwe’s focus on wheat set to yield biggest-ever harvest

By FARAI MUTSAKA reserves to meet demand
Associated Press for the staple food. Land
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — used for growing wheat in-
Zimbabwe says it is on the creased from 66,000 hect-
brink of its biggest wheat ares (163,089 acres) in 2021
harvest in history, thanks in to 75,000 hectares this year
large part to efforts to over- and will grow to 100,000
come food supply prob- hectares next season.
lems caused by the war in “A lot of countries dis-
Ukraine. But bush fires and count small-scale farmers
impending rains are threat- because they are so small
ening crops yet to be har- that individually they can-
vested. not effect much change,”
Like other African countries, Haritatos said. “But we or-
Zimbabwe has for decades ganized them into clusters
relied on imports to offset and convinced them that
low local production. After it was possible. The quality
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine of most of their crops is pre-
resulted in global shortages mium.”
and price hikes, the coun- He said the war in Ukraine
try wanted to ensure “self- had made Zimbabwe “re-
sufficiency at all costs,” A man covers his face from dust from a combine harvester harvesting wheat grain at a farm in alize that we shouldn’t rely
Deputy Agriculture Minister Bindura about 88 kilometres north east of the capital Harare, Monday, Oct, 10, 2022. on other countries for food
Vangelis Haritatos told The Associated Press that we can grow on our
Associated Press this week. own.”
The country expects to har- for the first time in its history, shortages and price hikes The answer in Zimbabwe H o w e v e r , Z i m b a b w e ’ s
vest 380,000 tons of wheat, agriculture minister Anxious of grains as a result of the has been to empower lo- wheat is predominantly
“which is 20,000 more than Masuka told journalists ear- war. The African Develop- cal farmers, said Haritatos, soft, and there is a need to
we require as a country,” lier this month. This would ment Bank has reported a the deputy agriculture min- blend it with imported hard
Haritatos said. That is up cushion Zimbabwe against 45% increase in wheat pric- ister. That included roping wheat varieties to produce
from about 300,000 tons future shocks. es on the continent. in hundreds of small-scale, quality flour for bread, ac-
produced last year. Masuka said Zimbabwe African nations were at the rural farmers to start grow- cording to the Grain Millers
“We are most likely to get plans to bump up wheat center of Western efforts ing a crop that was tradi- Association of Zimbabwe.
the highest tonnage since production to about to reopen Ukraine’s ports tionally reserved for large- But the government has
1962, when wheat was first 420,000 tons next season, as the United States and scale commercial farmers, ruled out imports amid the
introduced to Zimbabwe. giving the country room allies accused Russia of improving water supply surplus, saying a special
A lot of countries are fac- to keep building its strate- starving the world by deny- infrastructure and distribut- permit would be needed.
ing shortages, but the op- gic reserve and become ing exports from Ukraine, a ing fertilizers to small-scale The wheat harvest runs
posite is happening in Zim- an exporter of the grain. key global grain exporter. farmers as well as increas- from October to Decem-
babwe,” Haritatos said. Wheat is Zimbabwe’s most African leaders also visited ing private-sector partici- ber. However, both farmers
While other hunger-stricken important strategic crop Russia to meet with Putin pation. The crop was intro- and the government are
African countries are strug- after corn. over the issue. duced for the first time to concerned by the threat of
gling with reduced wheat African countries which im- Zimbabwean President areas and farmers who had raging bush fires and immi-
imports due to the war in ported 44% of their wheat Emmerson Mnangagwa never grown wheat before. nent rains. They say the fires
Ukraine, Zimbabwe is look- from Russia and Ukraine in April described the war Winter corn production are more devastating than
ing at using its anticipated between 2018 and 2020, in Ukraine as a “wake-up has given way to wheat in previous years as climate
surplus of the grain to build according to U.N. figures call” for countries to grow in many areas, with Zim- change contributes to an
“a small strategic reserve” were hit hard by the global their own food. babwe banking on corn extended dry season. q

Mexico scraps daylight savings time except along border

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexi- dren and adults to get ex- darkness falling an hour
co’s Senate approved a bill ercise. earlier on summer after-
Wednesday to eliminate The bill already passed the noons.
daylight saving time, put- lower house of Congress Economists argue that,
ting an end to the practice and now goes President while the energy savings
of changing clocks twice a Andrés Manuel López Ob- are minimal, going back to
year. rador to be signed into law. standard time might cause
Some cities and towns The law would go into ef- trouble for financial mar-
along the U.S. border can fect Sunday, when Mexico kets in Mexico by putting
retain daylight saving time, is scheduled to turn clocks U.S. East Coast markets so
presumably because they back for the last time. far ahead.
are so linked to U.S. cities. Previously, Health Secre- And businesses like restau-
The Senate approved the tary Jorge Alcocer had rants that have become
measure on a 59-25 vote, said Mexico should return accustomed to stay-
with 12 abstentions. to “God’s clock,” or stan- ing open later may have
Construction workers ride on a beam hanging from a crane at Those who opposed the dard time, arguing that set- to close earlier as many
the construction site of a residential high rise building in Mexico measure said that less day- ting clocks back or forward crime-wary Mexicans often
City, June 17, 2022. light in the afternoon could damages people’s health. try to be off the streets after
Associated Press affect opportunities for chil- The measure would mean dark.q