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Midlands Correspondent
Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Ministry has embarked on the second phase of the national crop assessment programme for the 2017-18 summer season. The ministry successfully conducted the first phase of the crop assessment in March to establish the state of the crop across the country and the second phase will measure the projected yield.
Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Deputy Minister Davis Marapira said Government completed the first phase of crop assessment last month and embarked on the second phase on Monday. Teams from the ministry have been dispatched to all provinces to assess the projected yield.
“We completed the first phase of the crop assessment last month and this month we are conducting the second phase of the assessment,” said Cde Marapira.
In a separate interview, Midlands Provincial crop and livestock officer Mrs Madeline Magwenzi said teams have been dispatched to all farming districts in the country to assess the crop situation.
Mrs Magwenzi said the teams will soon compile the information and forward it to the Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Minister who will make a public announcement on the crop situation.
“We are conducting crop assessment countrywide. The programme started on Monday. Teams have been deployed to all districts to assess the crop,” she said.
“After the assessment, we will compile the information and submit it to our Minister who will then inform the public on the crop situation in the country.”
Mrs Magwenzi said the rains that the country recently received were timely because it helped other crops that were at the vegetation stage to mature.
The Herald is however reliably informed that the crop, which is under irrigation, will surpass the projected yield while 40 percent of the crop on dry land is now a write-off.
Experts said that the late rains which the country received only resuscitated the stem and the crop but failed to fully resuscitate the cob.
A snap survey by The Herald across the province established that farmers will not get optimal yields.
Online Reporter