Rains bring relief, worry to farmers
THE current rains have brought relief to farmers nurturing late-planted crops that still need moisture while those on the brink of harvesting are growing anxious the persistent wet conditions could compromise yields.
Farmers are also happy the rains will rejuvenate pastures, improve dam water levels and benefit horticultural crops.
Selous farmer Mr Wonder Chabikwa said the rains were not bad as they were benefiting late planted crops.
“These rains are going to benefit our horticultural crops. We still have late planted crops that still need a bit of rains and these are going to benefit.
“We still need these rains. Our pastures will be resuscitated and the run-off will improve dam levels.
“The problem is with soya beans and maize, which is now ready for harvesting. Maize plants may fall to the ground and get attacked by termites,” he said.
Zimbabwe Indigenous Women Farmers Trust president, Mrs Depinah Nkomo said most summer crops were still in the field but ready for harvesting.
“We were about to start harvesting maize. If the rains continue, they will affect harvesting and may destroy the crops. Most farmers are yet to send grain to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB),” she said.
Agriculture expert and ARDA board chairperson, Mr Ivan Craig said more rains were a blessing.
“We still need pastures for livestock. Rivers should flow, we need to raise our water tables for our boreholes, irrigation, domestic use and winter cropping.
“The rains are a blessing but for the crops, there could be losses. Farmers have to come up with solutions to minimise losses. The rains are coming in after some of the crops have matured. The matured crops to some extent will be damaged, for instance, if a maize crop still has some upright cobs, the water may penetrate the cob and conditions being humid and hot, the cob is bound to rot.
“We only pray the rains do not last for long and we have enough sunlight,” he said.
Mr Craig urged farmers to select maize varieties with good cob tip cover that help drain water.
“This characteristic does not only help on the late rains but also helps reduce damage from weevils and larger grain borer among other pests. Even birds will not be able to attack the crop,” he said.
Mr Craig, however, pointed out that some crops such as sweet potatoes still needed rains but was quick to add that groundnuts and bambara nuts/rounduts, for example, get affected by rains because once matured, they need to be uprooted and stored on racks.
If these crops get soaked by such rains before harvesting they may end up sprouting and this deteriorates the quality.
“The rains make it easy to pull the groundnuts and Bambara nuts but crops such as millets are compacted on the head and if they get soaked they may sprout.
“We encourage farmers to construct cribs that are well ventilated and aerated so that when such rains fall they get drained and keep the crop dry. It is also encouraged to put a roof over the harvested crops to save them from being affected under storage,” said Mr Craig.
Farmers may also make use of dryers if they harvest crops with high moisture content.
-herald