Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union (ZFU) has urged farmers to stagger planting dates in order to increase their chances of achieving yields following forecasts of normal to below normal rainfall this season.
ZFU director Paul Zakariya yesterday said farmers should also consider growing short season rather than long maturing varieties. Said Zakariya:
A shorter maturity variety not only matures quicker, but also requires less rainfall to reach maturity compared to long-season varieties. Long season varieties are only recommended for those farmers with irrigation facilities.
He urged farmers to include drought- tolerant small grains like sorghum and millet. He also bemoaned that farmers did not acquire enough inputs this year, compared to previous seasons, due to the increase in prices.
More: Herald