Cottco castigates cotton merchants

Cottco castigates cotton merchants   17/1/2019 The Chronicle Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) has castigated some cotton merchants for abandoning their farmers after failing to provide them with replanting seed, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Addressing farmers during the handover of a tractor, trailer and plough to the country’s best cotton …

‘Buy your own dipping chemicals’

‘Buy your own dipping chemicals’   17/1/2019 The Chronicle Oliver Kazunga, Acting Business Editor THE Livestock Farmers’ Union (LFU) has urged farmers to buy their own dipping chemicals to control tick-borne diseases that are prevalent during the rainy season instead of just waiting for Government to provide the chemicals. In a recent interview, LFU chairman …

Villagers challenge farm evictions

Villagers challenge farm evictions    About 1 000 Masvingo villagers who were recently evicted by government from land they had occupied since 2000 have vowed to contest the move. Source: Villagers challenge farm evictions – NewsDay Zimbabwe January 14, 2019 By Tatenda Chitagu This comes as their lawyers said government did not follow the law in ejecting the …

Zim farmers push for cloud seeding.

Zim farmers push for cloud seeding. Financial Gazette 11 January 2019  ZIMBABWE’S farmers are urging authorities to undertake cloud seeding to ease an early-season drought that’s hurting crops and destroying cattle pastures.  The four-week dry spell has caused some farmers to delay planting summer crops, which include the country’s staple corn, while those that sowed …

Medium scale farmers on the rise in Africa

Medium scale farmers on the rise in Africa  Financial Gazette 11 January 2019  Thomas Jayne and Milu Muyanga  DRIVEN by population growth and growing land scarcity, most African farm households are witnessing the gradual sub-division of their land. Over time farms are getting smaller and smaller. Today, over 80% of farms in relatively densely populated …

How climate change accelerates poverty and threatens livelihoods

How climate change accelerates poverty and threatens livelihoods – NewsDay Zimbabwe   14/1/2019 AT independence in 1980 when I was growing up, I used to read and hear people talk about mantras such as health for all by the year 2000, education for all and poverty eradication by such and such a year. Guest column: …

Zimbabwe develops new bean variety

Zimbabwe develops new bean variety – NewsDay Zimbabwe   14/1/2019 ZIMBABWE has developed a new variety of bean seed which is expected to improve yields and cut the country’s reliance on imported varieties for canning products. By Freeman Makopa The new seed variety was developed by government’s Department of Research and Specialist Services after there …