Threat for E235m export market
MBABANE - While many farmers generally welcome rain, the continuous heavy downpours are beginning to be a cause for serious concern.
7his summer, (swatini and other parts oI $Irica that in clude neighbouring South $I rica have been e[periencing heavy rainIall, wreaNing havoc on harvests oI essential staple Iruit and vegetables $mong the most affected are obviously mangoes and tomatoes
7here are reports oI mangoes ripening slowly in some parts oI the country, especially in northern +hohho, due to the decreased temperatures that usually accompany the rain
Rain
7he rain is aIIecting the scheduled Iruits and vegetable Ior e[ports in several ways 7his may lead to a decreased yield while the Tuality oI some oI the produce may be compro mised 7he heavy rain is oIten accompanied by wind, which Iorces some oI the produce liNe Iruits to be blown away Irom the trees
)igures sourced Irom a recent 1ational $gricultural 0ar Neting %oard 1$0%oard report show that the country can e[port as much as metric tonnes oI Iruits and veg etables with a value oI over ( million 7he main Iruits e[ported by the country are oranges, grapeIruits, bananas, mangoes, avocadoes, lemons, dragon Iruits, pineapples and paw paws
8nder the category oI veg etables, baby vegetables are dominating the e[port marNet
Iollowed by green mai]e and a Iew conventional vegetables
7he e[act number oI e[port Iruits and vegetables that are liNely to be destroyed by the continuous rain could not be immediately ascertained, as 1$0%oard was yet to respond to a Tuestionnaire by noon ,t was sent early yesterday
Reports
0eanwhile, reports Irom South $Irica in the past weeN suggested that Ior the tomato industry in that country, the losses reached ( million in 'ecember last year due to the heavy rain
7he recent rains are said to have resulted in South $Irica¶s Iive main Iresh produce mar Nets receiving between to tonnes Iewer tomatoes daily in 'ecember
0eanwhile, in the past weeN, this publication recommended tunnel production as a long term solution to protecting some crops liNe tomatoes to natural disasters liNe storms and heavy rains
Specifically, crops which have a premium Ior earliness such as tomatoes, peppers, berries or salad greens are well suited Ior tunnel production &rops are grown directly in the soil beneath the high tunnel, and the only e[ternal connection is the drip irrigation system ,n addition to accelerating crop growth and maturity, high tun nels protect the crop Irom an erratic environment where e[ tremes in temperature, wind, rainIall, pests and light intensity can severely reduce marNetable yield and Tuality