15 Jan 2025

 Some arable farmers in the Tonota and North East ploughing areas are pleading with government for extension of the official ploughing period citing relentless torrential rains that have rendered their fields inaccessible.

The downpours, which have persisted for weeks now, have left the soil saturated, making it impossible for tractors to operate without becoming bogged down.

As such, farmers are pleading with government to consider postponing the ploughing deadline to allow them to catch up and salvage what they can of the planting season.

The situation is affecting farmers at various stages of the production process.
Those who have managed to plough their land are unable to plant seeds due to the continued heavy rainfall.

“We simply cannot get into the fields. The tractors are getting stuck, and the land is too waterlogged to work on. We are facing a serious threat to this year's harvest,”  explained Mr Tobokani Majoo, the chairperson of Manyanda Farmers Association in Tonota during an interview on Monday.

In the interest of time, Mr Majoo suggested that government could let the farmers broadcast seeds rather than the stipulated row planting method as it was quicker and would allow them to finish on time.

Chairperson of Tonota Tutume Masunga (TOTUMA) Commercial Farmers Association, Mr Steven Pillar also stated that they had not yet started sowing seeds due the heavy rains that prevented them from accessing their fields.

Mr Pillar further indicated that they were hoping for the situation to get better for them to start planting.

“We only need about a week without rain for us to start planting,” he added.

Mr Pillar indicated that farmers who planted before the rains arrived saw their hard work and seeds being washed away by the devastating floods.

The chairperson pleaded with government to provide farmers with essential farming supplies including field fences, pointing out that despite repeated applications, they had not received such.

He lamented the request by government to remove their existing dilapidated fences, in anticipation of new ones, only to face further delays in receiving the promised improvements. ENDS