Mat’land crop situation dire

AT least half the crop in Matabeleland South province has been declared a write off due to moisture stress.

Experts and community leaders have warned that there is a need to immediately put drought mitigation strategies in place to ensure that food is availed to people across the province.

Agricultural, Technical and Extension Services officers (Agritex) in the province said an ongoing crop assessment programme has shown that most of the crop in the province had succumbed to excessive heat and moisture stress as the El Nino effect takes its toll.

Matabeleland South provincial livestock production and development officer, Mrs Simangaliphi Ngwabi, in a telephone interview, said the crop situation was dire and most villagers were panicking.

“This presents a grim picture of the province. We need to think quickly and seriously about what needs to be done. This shows an extremely eroded resilience of the province,” she said.

Mrs Ngwabi urged the Meteorological Services Department to continue with cloud seeding to ensure that at least livestock get grazing pastures.

“We plead with the Met Department to seriously venture into cloud seeding in the province. While it may be too late for crops, it will be better as the rains will grow the grass in our pastures and at least livestock will be saved. Without pastures, this will spell disaster for livestock farmers,” she said.

Mrs Ngwabi said communities were looking up to Government to assist with food earlier as most families already do not have any grain left from last season.

“Akuselalutho sibili kubi emasimini abantu bazakuba lohlupho. Kwehlule lonyaka ngokusweleka kwezulu. Balutshwana abangathola okokudobhadobha sesikhangelele ukuthi uhulumende uzaphathisa. (There is nothing left in the fields, villagers are facing difficult times ahead of them save for a limited households who may be able to harvest a bit. However, most crops have been written off. We look up to Government to intervene and assist the people,” she said.

Villagers in Gwanda said there was no hope that they would harvest anything this year.

Village head for Silozwi in Gwanda Mr Nkululeko Moyo said the situation was terrible as some of people in area were already facing food shortages.

“We didn’t do very well last season and this time it is worse as even our cattle no longer have pastures. We hope food aid will come quickly and cater for all households as we have been all affected,” said Mr Moyo.

Chief Nyangazonke of Kezi said most of people in his area and surrounding villages had lost all their crops and some of their livestock.

“It is very painful when people come and cry to you for help as a chief and you can’t help them all with the few resources that you have. We call on Government to act as quickly as possible as the situation is getting bad,” said the chief. — @andile_tshuma