Farmers set to increase maize production by 33%
MBABANE – Two of the top performing maize farmers in the country, siblings Musa and Allen Mazibuko, both from Nhlangano, are set to increase their yield by up to 33 per cent in the 2024 farming season.
This is with a projected forecast of about168 metric tonnes of maize if the current climatic conditions do not change for the worst.
This observation was noted by officials from the National Maize Corporation (NMC), who paid a courtesy visit last week to the duo’s thriving farm situated at the Nhlangano Training Centre.
The Mazibuko brothers revealed that they increased seed population from 30 000 per hectare in the previous farming season to 45 000 per hectare this year, with the projected harvest estimated at eight metric tonnes per hectare. Their farmable area is about 21 hectares; hence the total yield if the crops will not be affected by climatic conditions is approximated at 168 metric tonnes.
They planted white maize in October 2023 using a planter donated to the Shiselweni Grain Farmers Association by Eswatini Water Development Authority (EWADE).
NMC Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Mavela Vilane lauded the siblings for their growth positioning and described their work as remarkable.
“Seeing maize farmers increase their production is quite encouraging, as it speaks to growth and sustainability. The Mazibuko brothers are a testament to the potential that exists in the maize farming business.
Not only do they provide seasonal employment to young people and women in their immediate locality, they also contribute meaningfully to the country’s food self-sufficiency endeavours,” noted Vilane.
Visiting
Vilane stated that NMC officials were currently visiting various top maize farmers in the country to track their progress this farming season, and to document strategies that keep these farmers at the top of their game.
“Most of the farmers we visit get to share their winning formulae which have contributed to the growth of their businesses, and we always encourage them to share their knowledge and lessons with emerging farmers so as to stimulate a vibrant maize farming sector,” said Vilane.
The Mazibuko brothers, who have 10 years of experience in maize farming, appreciated the visit by NMC and expressed how they envisioned future growth aspects. The brothers run a self-financed farming business. In recent years, EWADE came on board with additional funding for maize production to improve their farming business, and that was a bonus to them as their business is growing from strength to strength. In 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture granted them access to use the fields owned by the Nhlangano Farmers Training Centre.
“As a plan to grow our business, we are scouting for more land where we can expand our production in a cost-effective manner,” said Allen, as he explained how they were currently constrained by space.
Infrastructure
While they do not have any irrigation infrastructure, the Mazibuko brothers’ good agricultural practices have seen them becoming the winners of the NMC Awards in 2018 and later became runners up for two conservative years. They started working with NMC when the corporation began offering contracts to farmers, and their business has been growing ever since. From the proceeds earned from the business, they managed to buy a tractor in 2022, and just recently, in 2023, they bought a harvester for their farming business.
Unlike many other farmers that normally struggle to control Fally Army Worm (FAW), their crops are pest free.
Guidance
“Farmers fail to control FAW because of lack of guidance on the proper use of chemicals. If you are to be successful in controlling FAW, you will have to spray your maize 14 days after germination, and make another spray two weeks later. That is why FAW is not an issue for us. Don’t wait for signs of infestation before starting to apply the chemical,” advised the brothers.
Another notable observation in their fields was the non-usage of plough. They use a heavy disc harrow to till the soil and burry crop residues, thereafter, they put a planter.
“Ploughing has a tendency of taking the poor soils beneath and bringing them on the top layer, where your crops absorb all their nutrients. Then take the good soils on top to the beneath layer. The use of disc harrows instead of ploughs, allows us to keep the good soils in the top layer and ensure minimum disturbance of the soil,” they said.