Farmers brace for disaster

Hands tied: Farmers have entered the moment of truth
Hands tied: Farmers have entered the moment of truth

The extension of the ploughing season this week in the South will do little to ease the growing sense of dread amongst farmers who witnessed the El Nino droughts two years ago. The rains have simply come too late. Staff Writer, MBONGENI MGUNI reports

The threat is evident in the numbers. By yesterday, 6,131 hectares of crops had been planted by 1,101 farmers across the country. This is in contrast to 384,250 hectares planted last season by 100,250 farmers.

While the numbers in the 2016/17 season represented record highs driven by a strong rain season, the scale of the challenge facing farmers this year is unmistakable. A recent tour by Mmegi news crews in northern and southern districts found kilometre after kilometre of untilled land, with the few that were ploughed, spotting heat-stressed crops.

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