22 Sep 2019

Ga Mogapinyana farmers have been advised to find ways to mitigate effects of climate change.

Mr Ivan Craig, Zimbabwe based Agri Seeds director of sales and marketing, said this in an interview on the sidelines of Ga Mogapinyana farmers’ day recently.

He said farmers should live with the fact that climate change was here to stay, therefore it was important to adapt to new ways of farming.

Among others, he warned that rains were generally low therefore it was critical that land preparation be done well and on time to avoid exposing soil moisture to the sun.

Mr Craig also advised farmers to use the first rain, adding planting time was another critical factor to consider.

Furthermore, he urged them to choose drought tolerant crops such as beans, maize, sorghum and plant different crops to different areas and spread the risk.

He also encouraged farmers to hoe their fields lest weeds competed with crops for water and nutrients.

For his part, Southern district agricultural coordinator, Ms Monia Mfolwe, encouraged farmers to attend shows to share ideas, experiences and broaden their scope.

She stressed that they could only grow if they complemented each other.

Although farming was a rewarding venture, Ms Mfolwe warned that it was not for the faint-hearted.

She said farming was a calling just like nursing, saying ‘just as any dedicated nurse would take care of a patient, from the first to the last day, farmers should shepherd their ventures from seed to cash.’

However, she expressed concern that some usually abandoned their fields after planting hoping to come back for harvesting.

Also, she encouraged livestock owners to keep the latter away from other people’s fields to avoid conflicts.

She said some had little regard for ploughing fields and warned them to desist from the habit.

She further advised farmers to use farm implements such as rippers to break the hard earth crust without using traditional mold boards. That, she argued, would conserve soil moisture.

Host and model farmer, Mr Sisimanyana Matlho advised farmers to fence their ploughing fields and heed advice from experts.

He shared that following expert advice to the letter, especially with regards to moisture conservation, was the secret behind his achievements as a farmer.

Mr Matlho encouraged farmers to apply themselves to their ventures and create the next generation of billionaire farmers.

His wish, he said, was to build a fully furnished farm house someday and had no excuse to go to town, adding farming was a full time job. Ends