Hopes for good crops still bright

The Rhodesia Herald, 

25 January 1974

CROP prospects tend generally to be on the bright side, spokesman of RNFU said yesterday. 

But farmers required a “mixed weather bag”. Some areas still required more sunshine, others needed more rain.

In many of the maize-growing areas, rainfall has been light during the past fortnight and earlier this week the crops needed further falls. Storms in Mashonaland on Wednesday evening will have solved that problem.

Early planted cotton crops have benefited from the sunny weather and farmers have been able to get into the land to deal with weed infestation. Groundnuts are reported to be doing well, soya beans even better.

Early planting of flue-cured and burley tobacco are reported to be satisfactory.

The Rhodesia Coffee Growers’ Association has found it necessary to remind planters that most coffee was carrying a very heavy crop – two weeks drought was one week more than they were allowed.

In general, plantations had taken the heavy rains very well. Contours with too much silt were a warning sign. Better biological and mechanical erosion control was needed.

Sunny weather has improved the quality of pastures in many areas and it could be that the condition of potential slaughter stock will improve sufficiently to permit increased supplies to the CSC next month.

Farmers not requiring rain in central and northern areas will be depressed by the weather forecast – rain and thunder will be more widespread.

Maize crops in most areas are reported to be doing well but farmers are still hesitant about prophesying there will be a bumper crop – there are still too many unknown factors. 

In the Salisbury area, maize is standing at 3 m or more high and is cobbing rapidly. 

LESSONS FOR TODAY 

 The 2023-2024 cropping season started very late. The extended dry spell affected planting, livestock and fisheries.

 A normal to below normal rainfall season had been forecast due to the effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon. 

Government and all stakeholders must come up with strategies for mitigating against the effects of climate change. There is need to raise capital to invest in ensuring that the water bodies in the country are used for irrigation services so that farming becomes an all-year event.

The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development is carrying out a nationwide crop assessment which started on January 16 and will end on February 10.

According to the Agriculture ministry senior personnel, “crop condition had significantly improved despite the dry spell at the start of the season”.