adminMercy Ngwebvu
CLIMATE change and farming are interrelated processes with the former affecting the latter in a multiplicity of ways such as changes in average temperatures, rainfall, and climate extremes.
Erratic rains, which have become pronounced in Zimbabwe and which have seriously affected both the production of crops and livestock, are certainly a result of climatic deviations.
Increasing crop productivity in arid and semi-arid communal areas are a mammoth task due to a combination of highly erratic and low rainfall and degraded soils deficient in plant nutrients.
Year in year out, these peasants struggle to meet the increasing demand for food.
Their inability to muster more than a marginal living has another important effect — it reduces the overall purchasing power of rural people and thus plays a major role in the inability of rural economies to contribute to national gains in economic welfare.
When rains stop, only those with irrigation facilities can grow crops in winter. Most large-scale farmers who have irrigation facilities have in the past grown winter wheat, but with recent trends, not many will grow wheat this winter.
The lack of activity in traditional winter wheat farming areas like Manicaland as the season beckons is a sure signal of a disaster and possible extinction for the cereal grain.
The perennial problems of unreliable electricity, inconsistent producer prices and low viability concerns remain unresolved and therefore it would be difficult for farmers to consistently grow the grain.
Agritex head for Manicaland Mr Godfrey Mamhare is on record saying many farmers in Manicaland were shunning winter wheat farming owing to natural and financial challenges.
“Winter wheat preparations should start now, and naturally you would expect to see a lot activity given the current wet spell. The take-up is poor; last year Manicaland planted 800ha and many are not keen at all. Escalating costs and climatic variations are cited as the major hindrance to wheat production,” said Mr Mamhare.
Winter wheat farming should get utmost support as its sustenance can be an answer to food security issues in the face of global challenges, especially climate change and fluctuating food prices.
Most farmers have turned their backs on wheat production citing high operational costs exacerbated by a plethora of factors — chief among them expensive inputs, unfavourable weather patterns, lack of adequate and affordable water for irrigation and adequate and affordable electricity to spur irrigation.
It is against that backdrop of unreliable weather, electricity and water supplies that compelled most farmers to ditch winter wheat.
Farmers decried that high cost of electricity and its non-availability will push them to accrue additional diesel costs to irrigate.
Winter wheat requires at least four days of uninterrupted power supply to irrigate because the crop is highly sensitive to moisture deficits, especially during the critical phases of heading, flowering and early grain-fill.
Cognisance should be given to this issue considering that irrigation is the only sure solution to beat worsening climatic changes.
“Wheat is one of the most strategic crops in Zimbabwe after maize. It is a critical cereal crop that contributes to the diet of the general populace, especially with regards to bread which is eaten as a major part of breakfast, and we have to give serious thought on factors affecting its production,” he added.
Zimbabwe consumes more than one million loaves of bread daily and needs at least 25 000 tonnes of wheat monthly.
In spite of its importance, production of the grain has been on the decline with little or no effort from responsible authorities to resuscitate it to the 1990s levels when the country used to produce 325 000 tonnes of wheat per annum.
Despite technological advances, such as improved varieties and irrigation systems, weather is still a key factor in agricultural productivity.
The impact of climate on farming is related to variations in local climates rather than in global climate patterns.
Different places are experiencing different effects of climate change, and this trend is continuing countrywide. Some parts of the country continue to have less rain and more wind while others are receiving more rain, and it will be hotter and more humid everywhere.
More so, the length of the growing season for plants is changing, which affects agricultural and ecosystem productivity.
Zimbabwe’s geography makes it particularly vulnerable to climate change as 70 percent of the population relies on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihoods. There is less rainfall in communal areas coupled with tired sandy soils that are low in nutrients.
Earlier, smallholder agriculture functioned acceptably with the use of fallow ground. This is no longer possible due to the prolonged dry spells, inadequate irrigation systems and overuse of the land.
The poor quality of the soil is due to droughts, inferior seed and deforestation, among other things, and has resulted in a drastic fall in crop yield.
Farmers are generally more sensitive to droughts, given their direct reliance on rainfall for crop and livelihoods production.
Small-scale farmers are more vulnerable because they lack resources and capacity to survive drought.
Online Reporter