Farmers Advised To Plant Short Season Seed Varieties

Farmers across the country have been urged to plant short-season crop varieties this summer season following delays to the start of the rainy season.

In an interview with New Ziana, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development chief agronomist Rutendo Nhongonhema said farmers should finish preparing their land while waiting for the onset of the rains. She said:

My appeal to farmers at the moment is that those who can, should go for short-season varieties because the planting season has progressed with no rains.

According to a preliminary weather forecast, Zimbabwe expects to receive normal to below-normal rainfall with parts of the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces getting below-normal rains for the beginning of the 2023/24 planting season.

The delay in the onset of the rains, attributed to El Nino, is threatening both humans and wild animals as water sources are drying up.

Last month, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said that the ongoing El Niño event is expected to last at least until April 2024.

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