Farmers have been urged to plant short-season varieties and late-season crops to catch up with time.
Former Zimbabwe National Farmers Union vice president Edward Dune advised farmers to plant late-season crops such as sunflowers, cowpeas and sugar beans. Dune said:
We are encouraging farmers to go for shorter-season varieties of crops.
They have to wrap up planting now and speed it up to catch up with the time.
Farmers are also encouraged to grow crops which are late season crops like sugar beans, sunflowers and cowpeas.
Zimbabwe Indigenous Women Farmers’ Trust president, Depinah Nkomo, urged farmers to use fertilisers sparingly if the moisture is inadequate. She said:
I urge farmers to speed up planting but short-season varieties are ideal at the moment.
If the rains improve, l do not commend farmers to put fertilizers if there is not enough moisture.
Farmers need to speed up planting so that they utilise the rains they received.
I recommend farmers also plant sunflowers which can be planted into the late season.
The Meteorological Services Department (MSD) on Monday forecasted heavy rains across the country between Thursday 29 December 2022 and Tuesday 3 January 2023 beginning in the north and spreading southwards. | The Herald