The ManicaPost
Wimbainashe Zhakata Post Correspondent
MANICALAND has received significant beneficial rains for the past week which have triggered planting of different crops throughout the province’s seven districts.
The rains have brought hope among thousands of farmers whose prospects were in limbo due to lack of adequate soil moisture to plant.
The province had received early rains that made farmers commence planting, but their hopes for a better season had been gradually disappearing following a dry spell.
Farmers are also being urged to be on the lookout for fall armyworm which last season left a trail of destruction in Makoni, Chipinge, Mutare, Buhera and Nyanga.
Makoni, Mutare, Nyanga and Chipinge are the hubs of the staple maize production in Manicaland, while Buhera and Mutare, which lie in the rain shadow area, are synonymous with small grains production.
Agritex official Mr Cephas Mlambo on Wednesday said the greater part of Manicaland had received moderate rains which revived the crops and hopes of a better harvest.
Mr Mlambo said about 22 percent of the targeted maize hectarage had been plated.
“The whole province received beneficial rains last week and this activated planting of different summer crops in all the seven districts of Manicaland. So, we have now planted about 22 percent of our targeted maize hectarage,” said Mr Mlambo.
He added that there had been remarkable progress on traditional grains.
He said farmers in drought-prone communities have heeded agronomic advice to grow small grains since they are drought tolerant and can flourish even during drought.
“About 31 percent of our sorghum, 58 percent of our pearl millet and 17 percent of our rapoko have been planted,” said Mr Mlambo.
He urged farmers to continue planting small grains and be in the fields full-time, despite the break in the rains.
“We encouraging farmers to continue planting throughout the week, especially small grains like sorghum and pearl millet whose planting window will come to an end soon,” said Mr Mlambo.
Mr Mlambo said planting was still in progress in Natural Regions one, two and three where soil moisture emanating from the recent rains is still enough to stimulate germination.
In Regions four and five farmers have stopped planting to due to lack of soil moisture.
“In natural regions four and five most farmers are not planting,” he said.
Meanwhile, farmers are still receiving inputs under the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme and Command Agriculture.
“Farmers are still getting inputs under the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme, Command Agriculture and non-governmental organisations such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Buhera, Chimanimani, Chipinge and Mutare respectively,” said Mr Mlambo.
According to Agritex, the planting of maize can go up to mid-January in most parts of the province.
In the south-eastern Lowveld of Chipinge, farmers can plant till the end of February, depending on the frequency of the rains.
“This is late planting and thus we do not encourage it. Late maize risk being wiped out by dry spells and pests like fall armyworm,” added Mr Mlambo.
