Mash West farmers start planting

THOUSANDS of farmers in Mashonaland West and Central provinces have taken advantage of rains to start planting.

Although irrigation farmers had started early September, rainfed farming started in earnest last week in Makonde, Kariba, Guruve, Mazowe, Mhondoro, Bindura, Zvimba, Mhangura, Shamva, Kariba, Kadoma and Chiweshe, among other areas while there has been very insignificant rains in Mbire, Muzarabani and Sanyati.

Most farmers have taken advan- tage of the wet spell that has been experienced in most parts of the country to plant their early crops under the 2017-18 summer cropping season.

A lot of farmers in clay and sand soils in parts of Makonde, Mhangura, Shamva and Banket have had their crop germinate, taking advantage of the rains that started in late October.

One farmer in Doma area Mr Saymore Kanjiva, who has managed to put five hectares under maize so far, said he did dry planting so that he manages to extend his tonnage.

“I did dry planting since my plot is mostly clay. I failed to get expected tonnage last season because I planted late thus my farm was waterlogged,” Mr Kanjiva said.

Other farmers used the early rains to plant long maturity variety crops also to maximise production.

Mr Tichaona Chipara from Raffingora said he was hoping to plant different varieties from early to late maturity so as to increase tonnage to almost 12 tonnes per hectare.

“I will put my crop in different stages and different maturing varieties as this helps improve tonnage,” he said.

Mhangura Grain Marketing Depot officials said they have received over 45 000 tonnes of maize this year from the 2016-17 summer cropping season.