admin
Obert Chifamba Agri-Insight
WITH the first two months (October and November) of the first half of the 2019/20 farming season essentially failing to fit into the normal to above normal rains forecast issued by the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) just before the season, it is now prudent for farmers to turn up the sleeve for survival.
MSD had predicted a first half of the season in which there would be normal to above normal rains, but the first two months were literally dry in most parts of the country with meaningful rains only starting to fall in December, the last month of the first half, something that has left everyone playing the guessing game on whether the season has really started or not.
The first half of the season was billed to be stretching from October to December while the last half will run from January to March next year (2020). Facts on the ground now seem to suggest that the season has once again shifted to the traditional pattern in which it would start around this time and farmers would still be planting and would also score decent yields.
In other words, not all is lost simply because the rains failed to meet the predictions of the meteorological department, but that miscue should spur farmers to dig deeper into their bags of tricks to see how they can convert the disadvantage into an advantage.
For now, the only solution is for them to go ahead with their activities just like they do at the start of every season.
They will, however, need to work very closely with agricultural extension officers in their different areas when choosing crops to grow, and these experts will give them the scientific interpretation of things, which will take care of their concerns stemming from perceived vagaries of the weather associated with the areas in which they are situated.
They also need to seek more knowledge on the agro-ecological regions in which they are farming and as such go for crop varieties that are best suited for conditions prevalent there; both in terms of climate and soils. This is not the time to plant vast and speculative hectarages, but to concentrate on portions that are in tandem with what they have at hand both financially and in terms of resources.
They must also not pretend to be deaf to the current noises on climate change and its disastrous effects on agricultural production, but embrace climate smart initiatives that include the use of locally available resources in the form of livestock manure, composts and other forms of organic manure.
These will naturally blend easily into the soil, and do not require abnormally high amounts of rainfall to support crops while they also help to promote high moisture retention in the soil as well as a good structure that has the much-needed microbial activities required in good, productive soils.
At this point in time farmers just need to forget that the 2019/20 season had been forecast to start in October and accept the fact that it has started later than expected, a development that is not very different from what used to happen in the not-too-distant past when the season would start around this time.
If the predictions for a normal to above normal first half of the season could miss the mark by two months, then what may also stop the forecast from missing the nature of the last half of the season and see us getting rains that may sustain crops? It is generally too early to raise the red flag now, hence the need for farmers to work within the confines of the traditional calendar in which the season would start almost at this time of the year and go about their businesses, but expeditiously because time will not wait for them.
There is still a lot of time for them to plant and see their crops grow to maturity, but a lot will depend on the crop varieties they settle for.
They should choose very early and very, early maturing varieties that do not require lengthy periods of time to reach maturity, as the possibility of the rains going earlier than forecast can also not be ruled out. On the choice of early maturing crop varieties farmers need not forget 300, 400, 500 and 600 series for maize while other crops like sugar beans, cow peas, sorghum and millets that can be planted in January, and still mature to give good yields will also be worth taking on board to broaden their food security options.
On the livestock front, farmers need to manage pastures diligently, especially in the aftermath of rampant veld fires that ravage pastures every dry season, leaving the soil bare.
Naturally, grass will only start emerging almost at the same time everywhere, and this is where the farmers need to be organised and introduce rotational grazing to enable the pastures time to recover. Cattle should not be allowed to graze at will, but should be controlled.
On the one hand, farmers should also source supplements for their cattle where possible, and try as much as they can to avail clean water for the animals to drink. This is also the time to dose the animals to bridge the transition from winter when they were feeding on dry matter to summer in which they are now getting green and fresh matter so they need to be prepared for that change.
This is also the time during which farmers should increase their dipping frequency since the wet season usually comes with a surge in tick activity lest the country strolls into last season’s route in which more than 100 000 cattle were lost to tick-borne diseases leaving many farmers without draught power or even a single beast to sell and finance the occasional social expenditure when it becomes necessary.
Online Reporter