02 Jul 2014

The relatively good rains received in most parts of the country did not only come as a blessing to farmers as they have has also led to the increase of crop pests and parasites in some parts of Boteti.

Sorghum farmers in Boteti have been hardly hit as quelea birds/thaga ravaged their grain, leaving them with little to harvest.

In an interview, land utilisation superintendent at the Department of Crop Production in Boteti, Ms Ravel Ruviana said ploughing season was positive as the area received relatively good rains therefore farmers were expecting a good harvest.

Ms Ruviana however indicated that good rains also exacerbated the breeding of pests especially the quelea bird.

She said most of the reports from farmers whose fields had been attacked by quelea birds were received from the villages of Mmatshumo, Mosu, Mokubilo and Mmea where sorghum cultivation is generally high is compared to other areas.

She said the office was overwhelmed by reports and unable to cope due to limited staff as the sub district has only one officer trained to control quelea birds. 

Ms Ruviana also added that the chemicals and other equipment used to control quelea was also received late while on the other hand the office is also faced with shortage of transport.

Ms Ruviana said the office managed to take control of the birds towards the end of April but it was already late as the damage was already done. She advised farmers to plough early around October so that by the time birds are out the corn will be dry and ready for harvest.

She added that another challenge is that only a small number of farmers in Boteti cultivate sorghum while the majority prefers other crops and therefore the damage was high as the bird colonies were concentrated on a small area.

“If most of the farmers planted sorghum the damage could be better since they will move from one place to the other,” she said.

Ms Ruviana further added that the situation was worsened by the fact that some of the farmers do not stay at their ploughing fields and therefore the birds are free to destroy the crops as there is no one to scare them away.

Despite the challenges of among others quelea birds, livestock and wild animals, Ms Ruviana said the region is expecting a good harvest. She said 3862 farmers in Boteti cultivated their fields under the assistance of government through Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD).

Ms Ruviana also added that shortage of the ploughing implements such as tractors and planters has also proved to a big challenge to the smooth implementation of the programme resulting in some farmers ploughing late. 

She added that as a result of the shortage of modern implements used to row planting some resorted to the traditional method of broadcasting seeds which does not produce good yields.

Ms Ruviana said the use of donkeys as draught power is still common in Boteti west at villages like Mopipi, Rakops and Makalamabedi.

In an interview with some of the affected farmers at Mmatshumu, Mr Keletshwaretse Phetsogang who is also the village Kgosi has indicated that the department of crop production office at Letlhakane responded to the farmers report late when the damage was already done.

Mr Phetsogang said due to the good rains he was expecting a better harvest as compared to the previous but it was unfortunate as the quelea birds cleared all his corn before harvest.

He has advised the department of crops to prepare well in time adding that the damage done by the birds was not only a loss to the farmer as government has also contributed immensely by providing the seeds and paying for ploughing costs.

One of the farmers Mr Balebi Nshabe also indicated that he has shared the three hectares of sorghum with the birds.

The farmers said the birds were moving in large colonies making it difficult to control them adding that even their traditional tried and trusted methods of scaring the birds could not help.

They also revealed that whatever they harvest from the fields is used to sustain families and even sell to other farmers and sorghum millers. ENDS