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Columbus Mabika Herald Reporter

drought-tolerant hybrid maize seeds represent a new shift in farming opportunities in the country as they  improve yields in the face of challenges presented by climate change in the region such as recurring droughts, seed company Sygenta Zimbabwe has said.

Prolonged dry spells experienced in the 2018/2019 season caused a 54 percent decline in national maize output compared to the 2017/2018 season, threatening national food security, the livelihoods of many rural families and commercial farming entities in Zimbabwe who don’t have irrigation facilities to complement rain water.

Showcasing drought tolerant maize varieties during the Mashonaland Central Agricultural Show over the weekend, Sygenta sales and marketing manager Mr Moses Kudanga said farmers should plant maize seed designed to withstand drought conditions, extreme heat or cold to maximise production and ensure national food security.

“We strive to provide our farmers with seeds which aim to improve productivity in the face of drought and erratic climatic changes in the country,” he said.

“As Sygenta, we are encouraging farmers to grow hybrid, drought-tolerant seeds for a better market and yields. Farming is a business, so farmers should not just grow crops for the sake of it. They should make a profit. So, for them to make a profit they should have knowledge of crop management.”

Mr Kudanga said there was need for agricultural extension officers to concentise all farmers on the benefits of using hybrid seeds.

“Hybrid seeds increase yields and market value for their crops compared to open-pollinated varieties (OPVs), hence the need to roll out programmes aimed to emancipate our farmers on the benefits of using hybrid varieties,” he said.

Mr Kudanga said in addition to improved yields, hybrids were also resistant to diseases compared to OPVs.

“Now is the time for farmers to use hybrid seeds rather than OPVs,” he said. “They are not as good as hybrids because they are not resistant to diseases and have got lower yields. We now want them to use hybrid seeds for them to be viable in farming activities.”

Mr Kudanga said supporting farmers with information and knowledge on drought-tolerant seed varieties could help make them more competitive, helping to reduce poverty, and improving the livelihoods of rural people across the country.

He warned farmers against mixing hybrid seeds with traditional ones as this affected the yield and quality of harvests.

Mr Kudanga said Syngenta would avail a new medium season maize variety, SY5944, ahead of the upcoming season to add to the existing MRI514 and MIR 624, which have already proven to be stable across seasons and across agro-regions, and will result in improved yields.

Due to erratic rains, the 2018/2019 overall national maize output was 776 635 tonnes, declining from the 1 700 702 tonnes recorded in the 2017/2018 season

Syngenta is an international seed company operating in over 90 countries across the world.

It produces drought-resistant seed varieties that are adaptable to different weather conditions.