Poor harvests loom in Matebeleland provinces

THE southern region faces poor harvests and hunger amid revelations that 30 to 40% of crops have wilted due to the dry spell prevailing in most parts of the country.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president Shadreck Makombe on Friday told Southern Eye that farmers with irrigation facilities should water their crops.

"We encourage farmers with small plots to continue to water their crops as well as farmers with large irrigation areas to be efficient in their irrigation of crops so that there are no leakages and at the same time to use efficient methods of irrigating crops.  Most of the crops are also affected by pests and diseases during dry spells," Makombe said.

"To preserve the little crops which have survived, we ought to continue to preserve the only water we have. We cannot rely on rain but we should conserve what we have."

He said the situation in Matabeleland and other parts of the country pointed to a poor harvest.

"We might have a few spots of rain and some crops may survive but it's a poor harvest," he said.