Mash West on course to meet maize target

Source: The Herald – Breaking news.

Conrad Mupesa, Mashonaland West Bureau

MASHONALAND West, known as Zimbabwe’s breadbasket province, is on track to meet its ambitious target of 360 000 hectares of maize on the back of the rains being experienced countrywide.

By this time last year, approximately 154 000 hectares had been planted, whereas this year the province has already surpassed 301 000 hectares. The recent wet conditions have prompted farmers in areas such as Mhangura, Banket, Chegutu, and Karoi, who had prepared their land but were waiting for rain to begin planting.

Provincial director of Agricultural and Recovery Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) Mrs Medlinah Magwenzi was optimistic about surpassing the target.

“This low hectarage planted was caused by late rains; nevertheless, we have embarked on our operation, Plant! Dzvarai! Hlanyela! as soon as possible.”

“Out of our target of 360 000 hectares, we had planted over 300 000 hectares by last Friday, but we are confident that with the rains upon us, we will be able to meet our target.”

The majority of the already planted crop is in good condition, with about 5 percent recovering from temporary wilting. “The current rains have improved the condition of crops and allowed farmers to plant more, after the long dry spell.”

She highlighted that Zvimba district has the highest plantings, followed by Chegutu and Makonde, while Sanyati, Ngezi, Hurungwe, and Kariba received less rainfall, resulting in less planting as farmers waited for rains.

In addition to maize, the province has made substantial progress in planting other crops including sorghum, pearl millet, soya beans, and cotton, surpassing last season’s hectarage by over 150 percent.

Mrs Magwenzi encouraged farmers to continue planting during the wet spell, advising them to select short-season varieties for dryland and medium to long-season varieties for irrigated farms. “It’s essential to plant according to agro-ecological zones’ performance to avoid loss of inputs. Regions 1, 2, and 3 should plant maize, while regions 4 and 5 should focus on traditional grains to maximise yields for food security,” she said.

Farmers were also urged to report any suspected cases of fall armyworm to agricultural extension officers.