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Sifelani Tsiko-Agric Editor
Before and during harvest operations it is important for farmers to check for a build-up of combustible crop residue and to constantly maintain fireguards.
Early this month, more than 120 tonnes of maize was destroyed by veld fires, leaving scores of families from three farms in Zvimba District homeless and suffering huge losses.
According to the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) the veld fires swept through three A2 farms, including Nchefu and Kildonan farms, in Ward 15 and 30 destroying over 100 hectares of land.
No deaths were reported and a maize sheller belonging to a farmer was completely burnt.
Every year, Zimbabwe loses over a million hectares of forests and grasslands, depriving wildlife and livestock of pastures and leaving the country counting loses of property, crops and life.
Official figures indicate that the annual average burnt area from 2010 to 2020 was one million hectares.
Due to excessive rainfalls in the 2020-2021 cropping season, most areas of the country have been overgrown with weeds, shrubs and other plants, which dry out and become flammable in the dry seasons.
In light of the potential threats to this year’s bumper crop, Seed Co Zimbabwe is hosting a series of symposiums on post-harvest handling to offer handling tips for farmers and offer useful insights to agro-businesses, NGOs and donors working in various farming communities on how best to secure their harvest.
The country is expecting to procure 1,8 million tonnes of maize and 200 000 tonnes of traditional grains, raking in a total of two million tonnes of grains — the highest bumper harvest in two decades.
While most farmers are celebrating the bumper harvest, the happiness could be short-lived if they do not institute proper measures to protect the harvest, particularly grain against fires, pests and rodents.
Zimbabwean farmers are losing up to five tonnes or about 40 percent on average, per hectare of maize grown due to poor agronomic and post harvesting practices, agricultural experts say.
Wendy Madzura, a Seed Co Zimbabwe agronomist told a virtual symposium on post-harvest handling that was held recently that farmers needed to scale up efforts to protect the harvest through a variety of strategies to secure the country’s bumper crop.
“In this current season, Zimbabwe is expecting about 2,7 million tonnes of grain. This bumper crop becomes nothing if we fail to safeguard it,” she said.
“Our farmers need to protect the harvest through various strategies such as sanitation, chemical treatment and inspection of grain as well as regular checks for pests. Pre and post-harvest grain losses account for up to 40 percent grain losses in Zimbabwe.”
Seed Co Zimbabwe says it continues to host a series of symposiums on post-harvest handling to help sensitise farmers on the risks that they face when it comes to securing their harvest.
“The profit story starts with the right seed, however it does not end there,” said Marjorie Mutemererwa, Seed Co head of public relations and communications.
“There are different dynamics that threaten harvest hence it is important to learn post-harvest handling tips so that farmers do not lose their harvest from physical and environmental factors. This educational symposium to NGOs and donors is to equip you with knowledge as you invest in farming communities.
“We want to ensure that Zimbabwe is seed secure, that Zimbabwe is food secure and that Zimbabwe can safeguard and secure its bumper harvest.”
Participants said it was important for the farmers to adopt the best post-harvest handling skills for them to protect their food so it lasts until the next harvest.
The country faces a greater risk of veldt fire outbreaks this year.
EMA says the risk was generally in the high-risk category of 65,2 percent to the extreme risk category of 24,7 percent of veld fires outbreaks countrywide.
All this means that Zimbabwe remains at risk of uncontrolled veld fires that pose a huge threat to the country’s forests, pastures, crop lands, property, infrastructure and food security.
In the 2020 fire season, a total of 1178 veld fires incidents were recorded between 31 July and 31 October 2020 resulting in 806 457,84 hectares being burnt. At least four people were killed.
Speaking at the Seed Co virtual symposium, Environmental Management Agency official Tawanda Chinogwenya encouraged farmers to undertake pre-fire suppression measures such as fireguard construction, biomass reduction and early controlled burning.
“Farmers can also harvest the grass for use as stock feed and realise an income,” he said.
Post-harvest losses are still massive and often lead to food insecurity in Zimbabwe and most other African countries.
The UN World Food Programme estimates that there are 200 million farming families in Africa and they all face losses of 30-40 percent of their harvest.
Zimbabwe is expecting some 1,8 million tonnes of maize and 200 000 tonnes of traditional grains in one of the best harvest seasons in decades.
Online Reporter