adminSamuel Kadungure Senior Agriculture Reporter
THE first planting of Manicaland’s summer crops is lagging behind as the rain continues to be inconsistent when compared to the same period last season.
Many farmers had thought the onset of the rains would trigger expeditious planting of main crops such as maize, cotton, tobacco, sorghum, millet, potatoes, ground and round nuts, but this has not been the case.
However, the pace has been slower due to alternation between rain and hot weather, a feat that become the hallmark of the delayed start of the past two seasons.
The rain marking the start of the 2015 /16 summer cropping season has been so inconsistent and tough such that the province has dried out, thereby hindering summer planting during the week.
An average of 57mm has been received since the start of the season.
Farmers, especially the communal ones whose operations are entirely dependent on rain were unable to get into the fields and plant due to shortage of soil moisture.
This is likely to put in jeopardy chances of attaining the province’s planting targets.
Statistics released by Agritex this week showed that the province lagged behind, with hardly two percent of the targeted arable land having been planted.
Agritex head for Manicaland, Mr Godfrey Mamhare, said planted tobacco stands at 6 003ha out of a target of 23 000ha.
Last season the province had by now planted 8 000ha.
The province has to date planted a paltry 5 063ha of maize, 2 000ha less of the 7 114ha planted same period last season.
Manicaland is targeting 240 000ha of maize.
Sorghum stands at 316ha compared to the 1 420ha planted same time in 2014 /15 season. 279ha of rapoko have been planted to date compared to 1 244ha that were planted the same period last season.
Pearl millet is at 620ha, but by this time last season the province had planted 1 429ha. Groundnuts stand at 722ha, a slowdown which is as in sharp contrast to 1 032ha planted the same period last season.
127ha of potatoes and 218ha of round nuts have been planted so far.
“We are a bit below when compared to the same period last season, and very far from the targeted hectarage per crop. It is a bit too early to say whether we can or not attain the targeted hectarage. We will be in a position to review our targets end of this month,” said Mr Mamhare.
He said 240 000 hectares would be put under maize, 23 000ha (tobacco), 56 150ha (sorghum), 24 750ha (finger millet), 43 300ha (pearl millet), 32 910ha (cotton), 67 420 (ground nuts), 13 425ha (beans), 1 599 (wheat) and 3 400 (potatoes).
During the 2014 /15 season, Manicaland failed to attain the same target and instead, planted 192 238ha under maize, 42 521 (sorghum), 18 387 (finger millet), 37 387 (pearl millet), 8 387 (cotton), 54 751 (ground nuts) 24 610 (tobacco), 8 270 (beans), 486 (soya beans) 2836 (potatoes) and 910 (wheat) and since then nothing has changed for better to inspire confidence in farmers apart from the worsening economic challenges.
Drier parts of the province like Chisumbanje, Buhera, outer parts of Makoni, lower parts of Nyanga and Chimanimani and Zimunya-Marange had not received meaningful rains to sufficiently recharge soil moisture.
These areas have been identified as the ‘hot spots’ of suffering with the largest prevalence of malnourishment. These areas are in the semi-arid and dry sub humid hydro-climates where rain-fed agriculture is the dominating source of food and where water constitutes a key limiting factor to crop growth.
Online Reporter