Editorial Comment: Time to plan, prepare for forthcoming farming season

This is the time for everyone with something to do with farming to start preparing for the season in terms of mobilising inputs and land preparation.
The forecast makes planning easier in that it affords farmers the opportunity select their crop varieties according to the rainfall amounts expected to be received in their areas.
It allows farmers to decide on whether or not to go for short, medium or long season varieties in the case of maize.
The forecast is also very instructive in helping farmers decide on the crops to grow between small grains, such as sorghum, rapoko and millet, and maize.
Obviously it would not make any sense to grow maize in natural regions where below normal rainfall or drought is expected, such as some parts of Matabeleland South, Masvingo and Midlands provinces.
Farmers in these areas should immediately start mobilising inputs that are resistant to drought and small grains come to mind so that they can at least salvage something in the worst case scenario.
The tragedy with our agriculture has been that of growing the wrong crops in the wrong areas.
There is need to pay attention to the forecast and where possible encourage farmers to have an early-planted crop given the erratic pattern of our rains.
With an early crop farmers are guaranteed some yields in the event that the rains play up even in regions where above normal rains are expected.
We have observed in the past that farmers tend to disregard the rainfall forecast and can surely continue to do so at their own peril.
Farmers need to work closely with agricultural extension officers in their areas to get help on the selection of the right crop varieties suited to their areas.
With the forecast farmers can now decide on planting short, medium or long season varieties depending on their areas. Farmers in Mashonaland, north of Manicaland and Matabeleland North can plant long season varieties early while those in Masvingo and Midlands can continue to concentrate on small grains.
Indeed the rainfall outlook should be regarded as a guiding tool for decision-makers’ such as Agritex, Civil Protection Unit, policy-makers and NGOs.
It will enable authorities to plan their operations and farmers, as the end users, to make informed decisions on how to proceed with their farming.
What farmers need to do now is to plan the hectarage they want to put under different crop varieties, mobilise the crop inputs and start land preparations.
It is always beneficial for farmers to do their land preparations early as it has been proven, over several years, that an early-planted crop stands to yield more than the late crop.
Most of our agriculture has suffered from poor crop yields, which have impacted negatively on national production.
We hope the forecast also activates suppliers of inputs into preparedness. The inputs, such as seed, fertiliser and chemicals must be readily available.
Based on the rainfall outlook, the Civil Protection Unit has already announced that it will carry out awareness campaigns on floods, lightning and storms starting September 23.
While above normal rains can bring joy to farmers in some areas, they can be a source of sorrow in others as they can cause flooding and leave people homeless.
We have been warned of severe drought in some parts of Matabeleland South, Masvingo and Midlands and so it is incumbent on the authorities to put a plan on how to avert hunger and starvation in those areas.
The rainfall forecast has removed the surprise element and we now know what to expect as a nation.
Let farmers in regions of normal and above normal rains take advantage of the situation and strive hard to increase production to be able to feed the drought-stricken areas.
That is the way to go and we are convinced with proper planning, it can be done.