Partial drought will affect maize yield

Dear editor, I T IS worth mentioning that farming is agriculture business which is termed agribusiness.

Farming falls into various categories. These include among others, the following: animal husbandry, crop farming, horticulture and poultry farming.

I won't delve so much into each of the above named farming. This is because my main focus is on crop farming with particular emphasis on maize.

Maize is the staple food of Zambia grown by both commercial and subsistence farmers. The crop depends to a large extent on rains being experienced in the regions or provinces as it were. The 2017/2018 farming season will be adversely affected by the partial drought being experienced in some provinces such as Lusaka among others. Luapula, Muchinga and Northern provinces which are receiving normal rainfall at the moment.

In Lusaka most farmers have not even planted maize and other crops owing to the dry spell or rather drought currently prevailing.

If this is not good enough, the Electronic Voucher system has been a flop as evidenced by very few people who have accessed farming inputs. The 2017/2018 E-Voucher system has irked President Edgar Lungu.

President Lunch has however apologised to farmers and he has assured them that the Government will do everything possible to ensure that the E-Voucher system will be well executed during the next farming season.

By virtue of the partial drought, the country's maize will be lower than that of last farming season.

The country should therefore brace for high price of mealie meal unless otherwise. ELEMIYA PHIRI, Lusaka