‘The optimal planting window for maize is over’

Agriculture Reporters

THE planting window for major crops, particularly maize, has closed although those farmers targeting to produce sunflower and sugar bean can still plant, as the two crops’ planting window remains open until early February.

In a statement yesterday, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary, Professor Obert Jiri announced that the window for planting maize had passed and those who continue planting might be setting themselves up for unnecessary losses.

Said Prof Jiri: “Dear farmers nationwide. Please be advised that the planting window for major crops like maize has closed. Let’s adhere to this guidance to avoid potential losses. While the planting window for maize has closed, we are encouraging farmers to continue growing crops such as sunflower and sugar bean, as they still have an open planting window till early February and they can be grown with the available moisture.”

Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) Secretary General, Mr Paul Zakariya concurred with Prof Jiri’s advice saying it was important for farmers to refrain from planting because some of the maize varieties take 80 to 90 days to mature and may fail to mature in the event that the rains go given that the season after the dry spell that characterised its first half. He urged farmers to engage agriculture extension officers in their localities for suitable planting advice.

“Those farmers who did not plant in December should stop planting because mathematically we are left with two months for the season to end so it will better for them to opt for sugar beans and sunflower whose planting window goes until February,” said Mr Zakariya.

Zimbabwe Indigenous Women Farmers Association Trust president, Mrs Depinah Nkomo chipped in saying they had since told farmers to stop planting maize and encouraged them to go for sugar beans and cow peas.

The Agricultural Rural Development Authority (ARDA) board chairperson Mr Ivan Craig shared the same sentiments saying it would not make business sense for farmers to continue planting maize after its planting window closed.

Meanwhile, leading seed house Seed Co Limited also took to its X (formerly twitter) page urging farmers to choose early, very early or ultra-early maturing varieties.

It cited the example of a sugar beans ultra-early maturing variety that reaches physiological maturity in between 85 and 90 days, which is suitable for low and medium rainfall areas, or for late planting in high rainfall areas.