Farmers Replant Crops in Armyworm Devastated Regions
Gibbs Dube
Many farmers are involved in subsistence farming in Zimbabwe.
Farmers in areas devastated by the armyworm have started replanting crops though some of them are failing to access agricultural inputs.
The farmers told VOA Studio 7 that the armyworm completely destroyed crops in some parts of Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Matabeleland North and South, Mashonaland Central and Midlands provinces.
Councillor Willard Moyo of Donsa Ward in Silobela communal lands, Midlands, said the Ministry of Social Welfare has provided some maize seed to desperate farmers who are now replanting crops such as maize and sorghum.
The armyworm invaded Zimbabwe two weeks ago and destroyed hundreds of hectares of crops and green pastures as the country ran out of chemicals to control the pests.
Most of these regions are now facing another crisis – floods. Seventy-one year-old Dombodema farmer, Soldier Nleya, said late rains have been pounding his areas in the past two days, dashing hopes of a good harvest this year.
Nleya said the situation has been worsened by shortages of top-dressing fertilizer, ammonium nitrate.
Independent agronomist Roger Mpande advised farmers to plant cash crops instead of traditional ones like maize in order to sustain their lives.
There was no immediate comment from the Meteorological Services about the current weather patterns and flooding in some parts of Zimbabwe.
