Extension officers to get vehicles

Lawrence Chitumba Mash Central Correspondent
GOVERNMENT is intensifying efforts to avail vehicles to extension officers for them to serve farmers effectively. Addressing farmers who had gathered at Douglyn Farm in Shamva District for the Klein Karoo provincial field day hosted by Mr Scott Bean, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Advocate Martin Dinha said extension staff could not access all the farmers because of lack of transport.

“Staff motorisation in order to ensure our extension staff are able to reach out to each and every farmer shall be pursued as one of the ministerial priorities,” he said.

“Extension staff are not able to access most of the farmers because of their immobility.”
He said field days were very important to the farming calendar as they enable farmers to reflect on past performances and compare them to the present.

“They help to create a learning platform for all farming sectors. Field days create a conducive environment for Government, its stakeholders and partners to identify farmers’ knowledge gaps.

“This will assist Government to provide the necessary inputs, extension support, feedback and a necessary guideline for future planning.”

Advocate Dinha said he was pleased to announce the establishment of Shamva Agricultural College, which is currently operating as SOS and training both conventional students and local farmers.

He said there were plans for the college to relocate to Panmure Government Farm in order for it to be fully functional.
He said Mr Bean had been practising the concept of crop rotation, which is good for the minimisation of pests and disease build-up and the full utilisation of inherent nutrients to the soil.

Mr Bean has been a commercial farmer since 1980 and his main field crops are maize, soyabeans and wheat, which he rotates year by year.

This year, Mr Bean has 40 hectares of maize of K2 (PGS 65) variety, which is a high yielding medium seasoned hybrid that is among 170 hectares of other maize varieties and 100 hectares of soyabeans.

He has already registered for the 2018 Command Wheat programme for 200 hectares.