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Masvingo Bureau
Above normal rains that have fallen in recent weeks have caused water-logging in many parts of Masvingo.

Farmers are now worried that if the rains continue they will reduce their yield.

The rains have caused leaching, has increasing demand for top dressing fertiliser, which is in short supply.

Gutu is the worst affected with a total of 900ha under different crops such as maize, sorghum and millet waterlogged.

More than 14 000 tonnes of top dressing fertiliser is needed to satisfy demand with slightly over 3 000 tonnes delivered to date.

Farmers’ morale has, however, been boosted by the Government’s assurance that the fertiliser is being distributed to different parts of the country.

Provincial Agritex officer Mr Aaron Muchazivepi noted that the situation required increased supply of top dressing fertiliser to assuage effects of leaching.

“We have four districts that received too much rains resulting in water-logging and leaching,” he said.

“A total of 1338ha was waterlogged across the districts affecting crops which now urgently require top dressing fertiliser. We are happy that new deliveries of fertiliser have started trickling in which we hope will improve the crop situation” Besides Gutu, other districts that have also been adversely affected by water-logging are Bikita with 245ha, Masvingo 158ha and Zaka 35ha. Mr Muchazivepi, however, said while leaching posed a threat to crops in some districts chances of a bumper maize harvest remain bright in the province.

In terms of maize 55 percent of the staple crop was in the late vegetative stage with 35 percent in the early reproductive stage.

The remaining 10 percent of the maize crop was in the early vegetative stage.

“Rains that continue to fall are encouraging farmers to plant but generally planting has ended in most parts of the province and we remain optimistic of a bumper harvest,” said Mr Muchazivepi. He said besides water-logging another big challenge was fall armyworm with the province requiring more than 55 000 litres of chemicals to deal with the problem.

Masvingo is poised to record a bumper harvest for the first time this year thanks to the winter maize project in the Lowveld and high yields expected from the Pfumvudza programme.