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Elita Chikwati : Agriculture Reporter
Government has urged farmers to embrace relevant cropping technologies to boost crop production and ensure national food security. Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister responsible for Crops and Irrigation, Davis Marapira made the appeal at the launch of a new maize post emergence herbicide, Auxo, in Harare yesterday.Auxo is manufactured by Bayer Zimbabwe, a diversified multinational German company with interests in crop chemicals and herbicides.
Auxo is a chemical used against broad leaf and grass weeds.
Deputy Minister Marapira said it was worrisome that 1,6 million hectares of land was put under maize every year in Zimbabwe but yields were low, compromising national food security.
He also expressed concern that a majority of farmers still use the hoe to weed their maize crop, which he said was laborious and time wasting.
“Maize forms the staple food crop hence its importance in securing livelihoods of the people.
About 1,6 million hectares are put under maize annually across the country but yields are very worrisome, with poor management of weeds and pests being one of the key challenges.
“Our farmers are failing to reach potential yields because of lack of responsive technologies that deal with some of these problems. If not properly controlled, weeds can cause yield losses of more than 70 percent,” he said.
Deputy Minister Marapira said there was need for timeous control of weeds to increase maize yields.
He applauded the use of herbicides, which he said save time and costs.
Deputy Minister Marapira said weeding was still widespread in Zimbabwe, with almost 90 percent of the cropped area being weeded by the hoe instead of spray chemicals.
He said this process was laborious and time-consuming with farmers spending more than 70 percent of their total labour time weeding.
“Women and children contribute more than 90 percent of the labour. The scarcity of labour and concurrent rise in the costs of weeding make timeous removal of weeds by manual technologies difficult and expensive, leading to perpetual low yields and inadequate food at household levels.
“Herbicides effectively reduce labour demand and are effective in managing weeds that are difficult to manage using manual processes.
“Where herbicides have been adopted, farmers have increased their cropping area significantly.
“In this regard, herbicides can deliver the productivity gains that are required to achieve food security and overcome poverty.
“Development of herbicides will complement Zim-Asset’s food security and nutrition cluster and help the country in achieving Sustainable Development Goals relating to food and nutrition security for all,” he said.
Deputy Minister Marapira urged crop protection companies to avail herbicides closer to farmers at competitive prices.
He also encouraged the companies to train farmers and extension officers on the correct use of the chemicals.
Bayer business manager Mr Farai Munyanyi said the company wanted to ensure farmers improved maize production at reduced cost.
“We are also participating in the transformation of the agriculture sector. We want farmers to reduce costs and embrace technologies that save time and reduce labour.
“We work with farmers and extension officers from the Department of Research and Specialist Services. We also assist farmers in the safe use of the chemicals,” he said.
Online Reporter