01 Aug 2021

An official of the Department of Crop Production has called on arable farmers in Mathathane to produce enough food to last them a whole year.

Speaking during a harvest thanksgiving ceremony at Mathathane on Friday, Mr Pedzisani Lelata called on Mathathane farmers to consider ploughing crops that do well in their area.

He discouraged farmers from ploughing crops they loved but did not do well such as maize, but to go for those that performed well under the conditions.

These included sorghum, millet and beans among others.

He said that maize yields in the in the area were low because the crop required sufficient rains to flourish. Mr Lelata pleaded with farmers to consider commercial crop production.

That, however would need the participation of young people, hence Mr Lelata called on the parents to encourage the youth to join farming in good numbers.

He said while on the one hand he was encouraging farmers to go all-out, he would not downplay the many challenges they were faced with.

He cited shortage of draught power and implements in the area and explained that the tractors at the department were currently down owing to lack of expertise and funds for repair.

Mr lelata also noted that this year huge flocks of quelea bird reversed many farmers’ efforts.

He promised that the ministry would do its best to assist farmers and called on them to join hands with the government.

He said a total of 118 farmers from Mathathane area registered for seeds and fertilisers for the last ploughing season, but only 41 had actually ploughed 121.3 hectares.

He said he was wondering where the rest of seeds and fertilisers could be.

However, Mr Lelata was optimistic that more farmers would plough this year as already 129 had already registered.

Moreover they would be encouraged by the installation of the backline electric fence that kept wild animals at bay.

A department of Wildlife and Range Resources official from Mathathane office, Mr Jackson Thupeng said that his office was committed to patrolling the backline fence regularly.

Mr Thupeng conceded that Mathathane residents had for some time been harassed by wildlife, especially elephants, which forced some farmers to abandon their fields.

He said his department could only deliver effectively if the community joined hands with it.

Thus he called on farmers to partner with his office and alert it of any wild animals that encroached into human territory.

Kgosi Olgus Serumola of Mathathane encouraged those who had abandoned farming out of fear elephants to renew their resolve as the installation of the backline fence now offered some relief.

He also appealed to his people to start preparing for the next ploughing season. Ends