Crop situation still to improve

Crop situation still to improve February 6, 2018 MANICALAND & MASH EAST Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Manicaland BureauManicaland Province needs meaningful rains to resuscitate the moisture-stressed crop that has been affected by erratic rains and high temperatures. The situation has been exacerbated by reported outbreaks of the fall armyworm, which has seen farmers struggle to apply chemicals to the already …

China ready for Zim fruits

China ready for Zim fruits   Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau ChiefGOVERNMENT has urged orange farmers in the country to improve on quality, as China is ready to purchase 45 000 tonnes of the fruit annually. Addressing hundreds of people gathered for the World Wetland Day commemorations at Driefontein Grassland in Chirumhanzu on Friday, …

Zim now free from avian flu

Zim now free from avian flu   Elita Chikwati, Harare BureauZimbabwe is now free from the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) that hit the country between May and August last year.  The disease killed one million chickens in South Africa and Zimbabwe. In a statement yesterday, Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services principal, Dr Unesu Ushewokunze-Obatolu …

Dry spell threatens Zim livelihoods

Dry spell threatens Zim livelihoods By Own Correspondent In parts of the southern and northern regions, some farmers are close to completely writing-off the season. By Farai Mabeza THE poor rainfall across the country is expected to affect the availability of seasonal green crops for consumption, as well as on-farm casual labour opportunities, rates and …

Planting ideas for climate sustainable solutions

Planting ideas for climate sustainable solutions – February 5, 2018 Year in and year out, people around the world, particularly in developing countries, have had to deal with the spectre of floods, cyclones, forest fires and famine.   By Peter Makwanya These natural disasters have become part and parcel of people’s lived experiences. The only way …

Tobacco farmers threaten levy boycott

Tobacco farmers threaten levy boycott – February 5, 2018 Tobacco farmers are threatening to boycott paying the afforestation levy, saying they did not benefit from the fund, three years after it was introduced.   BY FIDELITY MHLANGA Farmers are incurring double costs in the form of the 0,75% afforestation levy, and the buying of woodlots or …

What Southern Africa can learn from other countries about adapting to drought

What Southern Africa can learn from other countries about adapting to drought – February 5, 2018 Rainfall in South Africa is naturally highly variable, with total amount of precipitation very different between years and across the country.   Andrew Slaughter and Sukhmani Mantel Total annual rainfall in Southern Africa does not seem to have changed much …

DDF resuscitates 4 irrigation schemes

DDF resuscitates 4 irrigation schemes February 5, 2018 MASH WEST & MASH CENTRAL Fungai Lupande Mashonaland Central BureauThe District Development Fund (DDF) has earmarked four irrigation schemes in Mashonaland Central province, including Mudotwe in Musiiwa Village, as part of the 100-day quick-win projects. It is believed that the rehabilitation of the irrigation infrastructure will help reduce poverty and …

Mixed feelings over rains

Mixed feelings over rains February 3, 2018 Local News Mellisa Mutasa Herald ReporterFarmers’ hopes of salvaging a good harvest are fast disappearing, despite the rains that have been falling throughout the country this week, as most of the crops are still under severe moisture stress. Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) executive director Mr Paul Zakaria told The Herald that …