Lack of draught power stalls progress in Mat South

working on their fields following the start of the rain season.
However, farmers in Mangwe, Insiza, Bulilima, Beitbridge, Gwanda, Matobo and Umzingwane are worried that they will not do well this farming season because there is not enough draught power.
Most farmers in the province depend on cattle and donkeys for draught power but these were decimated by the drought which swept across the area early this year.
Provincial agronomist Mr Innocent Nyathi said most farmers were busy on the ground although tillage implements were adversely affecting the process. He said the inputs had been distributed to various selling points in the province.
A total of 1 652 tonnes of basal fertiliser have also been allocated to all the seven districts with officials awaiting the distribution of Ammonium Nitrate.
“We have sent the inputs especially seed and fertilisers to the farmers through the Government-subsidised schemes and from non-governmental organisations and the Presidential Inputs Scheme.
“The process is being delayed by the unavailability of draught power. We are worried that we will not meet our target and not do well this farming season.
“At the moment we have over 500 tonnes of maize seed across all the seven administrative districts in Matabeleland South. You will realise that the progress on the ground is not good.
“So far we have put 6 177 hectares of maize as compared to 14 000 during the same period last year.
“We have 2 200 hectares of sorghum and had 9 800 hectares in 2010. A further 1 500 hectares have been grown against last year’s 6 300 and 1 800 hectares of ground nuts compared to 2 300 hectares last year.
“We just hope that the situation will improve by the end of this month,” he said. Beitbridge district agriculture extension officer Mr Masauso Mawocha added that Matshiloni area in Ward 4 had received the best rains so far. The whole district has received 13,7mm of rain to date. He added that they were also worried that inputs in Beitbridge were centralised and some farmers were facing difficulties in acquiring them.