Zimbabwe poised for good harvest

GOVERNMENT has embarked on the first round of the crop and livestock assessment survey in a bid to establish the state of food plants and domestic animals countrywide.

The Sunday Mail has gathered that agricultural expects are currently surveying all the country's provinces with a significant number of districts already covered in the exercise that began last Monday and is expected to be completed in two weeks.

The assessment will determine the extent of damaged crops as a result of rains and pests such as the armyworm.

It will also determine the hectarage of various crops and harvest projections.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister Davis Marapira said initial plans were to complete the assessment by next week but due to the rains, "it could take more time, with results expected by February mid-month.

"Initial reports point that there is a good crop countrywide although there is need for farmers to weed their fields."

Deputy Minister Marapira said the second round of assessment will be conducted in March when most crops will be ready for harvest.

Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) executive director, Mr Paul Zakariah said the assessment is important for planning purposes.

"This (assessment) is the best way to be able to say we are on track, if not, what do we need?

"We also get to know who is doing what in order to support farmers," he said.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president Mr Wonder Chabikwa said their independent maize crop surveys showed that the country is headed for a good yield that could guarantee two million metric tonnes of the staple grain.

"From the reports I am receiving, our harvests will be very close to the two million metric tonnes that we targeted," he said.

"But let me add that top dressing fertiliser is needed by most farmers.

"These persistent rains come with challenges that must be managed, farmers need to drain excess water from the land.

This cropping season, a number of low-lying areas in the country have been seriously affected by La-Nina induced flooding which has swept away livestock and destroyed crops.

The rains have slowed down weeding and application of top dressing fertilisers as well as pesticides.