Farmers feel drought sting, elephant herds destroy crops in Mbire

Mazowe North,Pembi Chase farmer, Billy Chifodya

 By Daniel Chigunwe

Several farmers in Zimbabwe are faced with one of the most grueling season after the skies have failed to give the precious rains to the scorched crops which are thinning due to prolonged exposure to the high temperatures whilst villagers in Mbire are wailing over the destruction of crop fields by marauding herds of furious elephants declaring hunger war to the province of Mashonaland Central.

The drought has even seen several districts from the agrarian province of Mashonaland Central extending a begging hand to the government to increase more food relief allocation with Guruve District already feeling the sting of this dry season.

The Media in Communities Development Trust this week visited young farmer, Billy Chifodya (22) of Plot Number 22 Pembi Chase farm, Mazowe North Constituency who expressed disappointment of this year’s season dryness saying his hope for a better future has been heavily compromised.

“It is quite a difficult farming experience for many of us farmers after the current season showed little mercy for us. We have been met with so many farming challenges with the failure of rains to come as the major excruciating reality.

“I had planted a considerable hectare of maize and tobacco which had a promising potential of making a bumper yield however with the drought I am actually seeing that I can now only harvest about 30 percent of the expected yield which is something disappointing for a young farmer like me,” he said.

This farming season has also been heavily affected by price hikes which have seen almost every commodity priced three times more than the original price with a 50kg bag of Compound D priced at $100 RTGS at one time affecting seasonal budgets by farmers.

“The other challenge which faced many of the farmers was the issue of price hikes which took effect at the beginning of the farming season that seriously affected us.

“ As farmers we do make our budgets before we start the season meaning when manufacturers hiked inputs prices we were not prepared for such hefty charges and in a way it inconvenienced us to a larger extent,” added Chifodya.

Meanwhile in Mbire district the remaining hope of a better season has been thwarted by elephants which are reportedly wreaking havoc in the field damaging the drought spared crops.

Villagers in Mbire and some parts of Muzarabani District have called for the urgent intervention of Problem Animals Control (PAC) and responsible government authorities to capacitate the tragedy as several fields are being ravaged by herd of furious elephants.

Also as measures to mitigate drought effects amid global climatic changes, Gwebi College of Agriculture has called for farmers to awaken to the call for conservative agriculture saying there is hope for increased yields if farmers apply CA as part of good agronomics practice.