‘We can avert hunger by boosting irrigation’

Zimbabwe is set to fork out nearly $300 million in grain imports following a poor agricultural season that was characterised by low rains. Agricultural expert Amon Mwashaireni, a crop scientist and the managing director of ARDA Seeds (Private) Limited, a subsidiary company of the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, discusses with The Herald’s Tichaona Zindoga what the country needs to do to avert future disasters and other issues in the agriculture sector.

TZ: Can you please comment on this 2014/2015 agricultural season from an agronomy point of view?

AM: My friend, this was a near disaster. Reports are that about 49 percent of crops were a complete write-off. Meaning, if we were expecting 1.4 million tonnes of maize grain, we are going to harvest just over 700 000 tonnes of maize. The nation needs at least 1,3 million tonnes of maize grain for food.

TZ: Where do you think we went wrong as a nation during the past season?

AM: In terms of preparation, the 2014/2015 season was one of the best. Kudos to the Government on the Presidential Well-Wishers Input Scheme. Inputs were acquired and distributed in time to most communal farmers. Seed and fertilisers were readily available in all shops. However, rains started too late, almost mid-December 2014. After four weeks of rains, we had a long dry spell stretching to five weeks in most areas. Five weeks without water is too long for any crop. It was painful to see crops wilting. The bad thing is most Southern African countries, except Zambia, were hit by the long dry spell that affected most dryland farming. Sadly, some Southern African countries were affected by floods. Food security is key to any nation.

TZ: Can we say these are the effects of climate change?

AM: Yes, it’s true. Droughts, long dry spells and floods are now becoming common phenomena across the world.

TZ: Are our local researchers doing enough to come up with drought-resistant crop varieties or varieties that suit the changing climate?

AM: No variety can be resistant to drought. No field crop variety can be tolerant to a five-week long dry spell. However, seed companies have of late come up with ultra-early maturing maize varieties that are already on the market. These can be planted as late as January. Our AGRITEX officers are aware of such varieties. Small grain production should also be encouraged in most dry regions such as Matabeleland provinces, Masvingo, Midlands and parts of Manicaland.

TZ: What do you think is the best way forward to counter such droughts and/or long dry spells? You have already said no crop variety is resistant to drought.

AM: The long-term plan is for the nation to increase the area under irrigation. If the country had at least 200 000ha under functional irrigation for cereal crop production, we would not be feeling these effects. Imagine if 200 000ha of irrigated maize yields at least five tonnes per hectare. Supplementary irrigation is key for increased output per hectare. We have many water bodies in the country for irrigation. I know it is expensive to erect that infrastructure but that is the way forward or mid- to long-term plan for the nation. Bit by bit. I think that is why the President had to form the expanded Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development.

Really, Irrigation Development and Farm Mechanisation are key if we are to improve crop output. Imagine, this year the country needs to import grain worth about $300 million! This means Treasury is going to divert most of its revenue to import food, foregoing many other capital development. Of course, some private players and other institutions will chip in, but already the country is exporting its hard-to-find money. And Government has no choice except to save its people. Food security to the people as highlighted in the Government’s economic blueprint, ZIM-ASSET.

TZ: Some people would say what if the Government had supported winter maize production in the Lowveld. What is your take on this?

AM: Yes, it will help. But how many hectares of land are under irrigation in the Lowveld, besides the sugarcane plantations? Surely, we need to increase our irrigated land area across the country be it the Lowveld, Middleveld or Highveld. It is also very expensive to grow commercial maize in the Lowveld in winter. You will need almost $1 200 to grow a hectare of maize in winter, meaning at least 4 tonnes of maize will go to costs.

TZ: Then there is this issue of GMO maize. Why can’t we adopt this technology as a nation?

AM: This is a sensitive topic, Tichaona. I, personally, do not think our problem as a nation is about germplasm. We have a lot of conventional varieties, some of which can yield up to 18 tonnes per hectare.

Few farmers have harvested that yield potential. In crop production, to get the best yields, a crop needs to be planted in time, get enough fertilisers, good weed control, get enough water at the right time, good disease and pest control and harvested well and in time. That is crop management.

In Zimbabwe, the average maize yield ranges from 0,7 tonnes to 1,2 tonnes per hectare over the years for the reasons I have just said. Poor yields. Yes, for GMO maize, let more research be done and all essential biotechnological information be disseminated to all stakeholders including my mother in Marange communal lands. I am not rejecting technology but the GMO maize will also require good crop management.

TZ: But GMO maize meal is already being imported from South Africa and is being consumed locally?

AM: This maybe true. But this is taking advantage of a hungry poor person. Anyway, the GMO maize topic will need another day to discuss.

TZ: Now on seed, are we going to have enough seed this coming 2015/2016 season?

AM: I may not be the best person to comment on total seed output for the whole seed industry. But I think for the past four seasons, the country has never imported seed. We have had some carry-over seed in the past seasons. Seed companies continue to produce seed on a yearly basis. It would be good if we could initiate a seed reserve. The problem is this year some seed farmers were also affected by the long dry spell that affected crop yields. Seed farmers have irrigation facilities but at times some mechanical problems do happen on the irrigation infrastructure. Some farmers had electricity disconnected by ZESA due to non-payment of bills. So some seed farmers could not irrigate the seed crops. The Zimbabwe Seed Trade Association has the estimate figures of seed availability since farmers are still harvesting.

TZ: Reports in newspapers are that most local seed companies have merged, ceded some shareholding or partnered with some foreign seed companies. What is your comment on this?

AM: Yes, it is true. I cannot mention names. The truth is the seed industry has not been spared the current economic challenges. We have seen several businesses closing including banks. Seed companies were or are in big debts. Seed companies did not have any working capital to support normal operations that include research and development, field production, seed quality control, seed processing, marketing and other administration costs.

Most of these companies were to go under judicial management or even liquidation. For these reasons, their last option was to seek strategic partners or merge. It was not their natural choices to do so.

TZ: Don’t you foresee this as a seed security threat for the nation if most of these companies become foreign-owned or foreign controlled?

AM: They may be foreign-owned but they have to stick to Government policies. I personally do not foresee any threat. It becomes bad when all decisions for such companies are controlled from outside the country; production and marketing decisions coming from external bosses.

I do not think the Government will tolerate ideas of some companies opting to produce seed in neighbouring countries then import the seed into Zimbabwe. I think the Government will be watching closely as seed security and food security work hand in hand.