Farmers brace for disaster

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.