Heavy rains threaten farmers' produce

Published: 13 February 2014

Farmers in Matabeleland will incur additional costs in buying ammonium nitrate fertiliser to save their crops from leaching because of heavy rains.

Crops in some areas have started turning yellow, a sign of leaching which occurs when water drains nutrients from the soil.

The Zimbabwe Commercial Farmer's Union Matabeleland North provincial chairman, Winston Babbage, said there was a need to apply ammonium nitrate to save the crops.

"I urge farmers to try and secure ammonium nitrate because their crops are likely to turn yellow due to the heavy rains. Ammonium nitrate will prevent discolouration of the crops particularly maize. If the rain continues pouring like this some crops will be destroyed," he said.

Some farmers close to the Mbembesi River said their crops about 60 metres from the river, had been covered in water after it burst its banks.

Mr Christopher Mangena of Plot 24 Sweet Sweat Farm, Induba in Inyathi, said if the rains continued like this, all his efforts would go down the drain.

"Half of the maize crop which is 2,5ha is partially destroyed. I was dismayed on Monday morning when I found part of my field covered in water. Now I have to meet costs of acquiring ammonium nitrate and Compound D fertilisers. This is a challenge because as A2 farmers, we do not get that much help from the government."

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmer's Union national livestock chairperson Irene Maphenduka said some crops are now a complete write-off because of too much rains.

"Most farmers in the Matabeleland region have been affected by drought in the past years due to unfavourable rainfalls, and this year they were expecting better yields. However, the situation is a challenge to some farmers. A drought caused by too much rain is usually better than a drought caused by no rain at all, but we pray that the situation doesn't cause a drought", she said.
- chronicle