N.E. FARMERS HIT BY FROST Some horticultural farmers in the North East District have been hard hit by frost left. In an interview, one of the growers in Mosojane near Masunga, Mr. Enock Mosojane said the frost led to considerable damage to his tomatoes, green pepper and rape. He said, however, with vegetables like rape and spinach, there were often good chances of recovery, noting that he usually pruned the affected leaves to allow for new ones to sprout. He highlighted that horticultural farming needed resilience on the part of the farmer as it had many challenges. He stated that the best and only option to deal with frost, especially with regard to tomatoes, was through the use of a tunnel, which he however said was too expensive for small farmers to acquire. Mr. Mosojane praised Government for starting agencies such as the Selebi Phikwe Economic Diversification Unit, which helps small business entrepreneurs in terms of market. Hhe also appreciated schemes such as the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture, which was introduced in 2008 to address issues such as low productivity, and which will also assist them in terms of finances to buy farming implements such as tunnels. He stated that apart from the recent frost, they sometimes face harsh climatic conditions like heat waves, outbreaks of flies and other pests as well as market saturation. Mr Mosojane encouraged youths to go into farming with commitment and passion. Another farmer based in Masunga, Ms Uyapo Machola stated that frost mostly affected her maize, green pepper and butternuts. She stated that she made a huge loss as she has lost everything to the frostbite, something she said would affect her ability to honour her loan agreement with the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency. Mr Mogomotsi Marope, who operates a farm in Patayamatebele stated that most of the area in which his tomatoes and green pepper were ready to be harvested was affected. (BOPA)
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 13:49:31 +0000
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