adminA SUCCESSFUL farming season doesn’t happen by accident. Like most achievements, it is a result of proper planning, thoughtful determination and teamwork.
The 2014-2015 summer cropping season is with us and for crop farmers equipment maintenance, purchasing the right quantities and varieties of inputs and field management are the three major drivers of this success.
A successful season begins long before bringing out the planter. It starts with a plan. Having that plan in place before the season starts helps farmers to best manage risk and work towards achieving their end goals.
In our case November is an important month because it is when most farmers prepare and put their act together for the next crop.
By now most farmers must be either midway or rounding up their land preparation. Land preparation is crucial as it determines the quality of harvest and is a major pre-requisite for a good yield. Its advantage is that it loosens the soil, making it easy for the plants’ roots to penetrate.
Early digging also helps the circulation of air in the soil, which is essential for plant germination and growth. Good land preparation practice involves taking care of the soil to ensure it contributes to increased farm productivity.
The Meteorological Department has disclosed that the nation will receive above normal rains, which means farmers are not likely to face a risk of being overwhelmed by the pace and severity of climate change. Normal rainfall to above normal rains, are expected in Region 1 throughout the season, meaning that farmers in the northern parts of the country or rather in this meteorological region must increase their hectarage since normal rainfall is most expected. They are the major leg of our agriculture; yes, the backbone of the country’s economy which it stands on. The farmers around this area must all have reasons to be proud of contributing to the recovery of agriculture by redoubling their efforts!
Region Two and Region Three projections are for normal rainfall for the October-December 2014 period with the late January until the end of the season in March, receiving below normal rainfall, suggesting an early end of the season for these two regions.
It points to one thing – that climate change is a fact and its impact will be worse in Regions 4 and 5.
The climate variations, droughts or rainfalls, are something that small-holding farmers are going to face. So farmers in Region Two and Three, because they are most likely going to experience a short season, must plant with the first rains, staggering plants and must choose small grains. As a nation we must be prepared to enhance the rainfall this season through the national cloud seeding programme while irrigation should be encouraged for those with access to dams with water. Those with water should not wait for the main rains to fall. They can start planting as the temperatures are already high.
Farmers must work with agronomists to determine which conditions will have the biggest impact on crop growth and success.
Farmers must bear in mind that, as a result of climatic disturbances, the period of dry and rain seasons are now both six months, a deviation from past trends where the rainy season used to last eight months while the dry season was four months. This situation should not confuse them but make them resilient to climate change.
For instance, farmers in Regions Two to Five should cultivate stronger plants which are resistant to climate change.
They should also be organised, avoid traditional systems of cultivation and adopt some modern techniques. The farmers must adopt good land management practices and improve seed stocks, with drought-resistant varieties.
We call for the adoption of “climate-smart agriculture” which will help make crops resilient to harsh effects of climate change. In order for our farmers to be productive and ensure food security, we need to build resilience to help them mitigate the onset of climate change.
An important factor of good land management is the effective and efficient use of water — groundwater, surface water and rainwater.
Inputs, including small grains, should be distributed to all regions and incentives for maize production for the purposes of grain reserves should be urgently provided, rather than wait until the middle of the season. We would also like to warn farmers against selling last season produce willy-nilly unles s they have no choice.
Online Reporter