28 Feb 2018

Chobe District crop production officer, Mr Zacharia Mmapetla has said the district has failed to reach the targeted 45 000 ploughed hectorage this ploughing season.

In an interview with BOPA, Mr Mmapetla said only 11 298 hectares were ploughed during the set ploughing period that ended on February 26.

He explained that by the end of January, out of the 42 000 hectares of commercial farms only 10 000 was ploughed, while small scale farmers had only ploughed 1 298 of the 3 298 hectares. He attributed the low ploughed hectorage in January to the high temperatures that deterred most farmers from ploughing. He said while government extended the ploughing season to February 26, farmers could not utilise the period due to heavy rainfall that took place most of the days in February.

He cited that only six days in February were without rain and the rest experienced rain leading to flooding of farms and denying farmers to access them. He said farmers who decide to plough after the gazetted ploughing season would be doing so at their own expenses.

He however said if farmers ploughed late, their crops would not be affected by low temperatures as the area did not have cold winters.

Mr Mmapetla further advised those who would plough in March to plough mainly beans. He said last year some farmers in Pandamatenga ploughed in March and were able to have good harvest. He noted that those who ploughed sorghum were likely to have a problem of quelea birds.

He lamented the low hectares ploughed in Chobe region, saying it was likely to negatively affect the country’s food security as the region’s harvest usually sustained the country for six months.  Meanwhile, Mr Mmapetla said in the last ploughing season, 35 000 hectares out of the 42 000ha were ploughed, adding that this year the target went up because there were newly allocated farms.

Chairperson of the small scale farmers, Mr Edgar Moyo shared the sentiments, adding that this year it rained late. He said it also rained continuously and farmers could not access their farms.

Mr Moyo said those who managed to plough in January had their crops carried away by rain water and others had their crops submerged in water something he said called for re-ploughing. Mr Moyo was optimistic that if the rain stopped for a week, some farmers would be able to plough and have good harvest.

Government through the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security extended the ploughing period from February 15 to February 26 in the northern part of the country in order to allow farmers to take advantage of the moisture. Chobe region made part of northern region. Ends