admin
Elton Manguwo
BOGUS soil testers have taken advantage of the high demand for soil testing services to set up fake labs and fleece unsuspecting farmers intending to have their soils tested.
This follows the Government’s recent revelations that 70 percent of the country’s soils were acidic and needed to be tested and limed to make them productive once again.
Head of the Chemistry and Soil Research Institute in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Mr Emmanuel Chikwari recently urged farmers to be wary of the fraudsters saying they should take their soils to credible Government institutions for testing and avoid using short cuts.
He was speaking during soil testing demonstrations in Goromonzi, Mashonaland East.
Said Mr Chikwari: “Most private players are bent on exploiting farmers while taking short cuts in the soil testing processes to cut costs.”
Mr Chikwari explained that the unscrupulous agro-labs were doing sub-standard soil tests, which in the long run impacted negatively on yields and profitability at a time the country is expecting a bumper season.
As the Government targets to spring back from years of underperforming due to a host of challenges including poor soil nutrient status, it is pertinent to have the soil in the best condition possible to get better yields per hectare.
Additionally, the Government is pushing for business practices in the agriculture sector, hence the need for accurate soil testing and precision agricultural practices that enable farmers to only buy what they need in terms of input quantities to achieve sustainable production.
“Soil testing is crucial before the purchase of inputs, as it provides guidelines on the quantities of fertilisers for particular yield projections per hectare. This will bring in cost effective input sourcing,” said Mr Chikwari.
The country is set for a successful summer cropping season with the Ministry pushing to address last season’s shortcomings in terms of agronomic practices and extension services through various programmes such as the blitz soil liming among others.
Furthermore, the Department of Chemistry and Soil Research is calling on farmers to adopt the recommendations provided by the institute so that they can benefit fully from the exercise.
“Too much agro-chemicals can affect both the environment and the soil negatively, as excess chemicals can be transferred to the immediate environment hence causing damage to the natural environment,” added Mr Chikwari as he explained the dangers that come with using results obtained improperly in treating the soil.
The need for a robust and sufficient soil testing system comes at a time the Government is moving to address the high soil acidity that was reported during a post cabinet media briefing by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa.
Farmers must continue sourcing all their inputs from licenced sources, as rogue dealers are always waiting to pounce on opportunities that come with desperate situations.
Online Reporter