FIRST SEASON: MOYO FARMERS CONCERNED OVER DELAYED RAINS
A garden of tomatoes in Vura Madulu West village Moyo sub-county
By Araba Kalsum
Moyo
Farmers in Moyo district have raised concerns over the delays in the return of the rains saying this may affect productivity.
The experts in the district however advise farmers to now start cultivation as the rains are here.
Justine Mindra a farmer in Vura Madulu West who complained about the delays said, this may affect their farming activities.
“As being a farmer I dig but this year really the rains delayed and this slightly will affect our farming activities because we anticipate by this time we would have planted maize that might have started flowering but till now there is nothing in the garden and this is April, people are still preparing land now what if first season is gone with no proper growth of crops how can I assume second season to be better for crop growth,” said Mindra.
Molumai Nicolas an expert has briefed the farmers on crops that can best be grown in the first season of the rain.
“When you prepare your land in advance, the best crop that performs well in our locality here in first season is maize. Start planting it then secondly you can plant your groundnuts and apart from these varieties, you can as well plant vegetables like tomatoes, egg plants and green papers these do well in the first season,” emphasized Molumai.
However Alex Mugisha the field agronomist Apiviva limited explains what farmers should do during the onset of the rain.
“When you look at our locality right now, the weather has at least changed a bit. we have started receiving some rains and our planting rains come towards the end of March and early April up to mid-April that is the time I would advise our farmers to start planting where by the rain will be reliable and we are in first season we mostly have short months of rain fall where by farmers should plant crops which are short maturity and of high yielding to avoid the issues of unreliable rain fall and to be cut off by drought but for those who had ploughed their land during the dry season, these rains we are receiving are not for planting yet but secondary tillage,” Mugisha explained.
In Farming experts advise that the first thing to be done even before the rains start is land preparation including keeping stray animals safe by farmers before planting their crops to ensure effective crop yield.
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