AS the country moves to ensure food security and revitalise the economy through sustainable farming practices, calls for farmers to listen to instructions and recommendations by Agritex officers are growing louder by the day.
Agriculture Advisory and Rural Development Services (AARDS) chief director Professor Obert Jiri yesterday said it was critical for farmers to pay attention to recommendations from Agritex officers to ensure productivity.
“We are on a journey to achieve Vision 2030 and one of the most important ingredients to successfully doing so is by changing and improving the way we do farming in the country. Extension workers are essential in supporting and feeding farmers with the pertinent expertise,” said Prof Jiri.
The Government through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development is aiming to bounce back better by rolling out various robust programmes aimed at boosting intensive production.
Prof Jiri observed that recommendations from Agritex officers were important, as they contained pertinent issues that affect production and productivity.
The effects of climate change warrant that farmers grow climate smart varieties to climate-proof food production especially during seasons like the current one that are characterised by erratic rains.
“As mid-season dry spells have become a common phenomenon, farmers should expedite planting and use medium to short season varieties,” said Prof Jiri.
The summer season is now advanced with crops approaching knee height, which requires farmers to ensure that they adopt good agronomic practices to meet their projected yields.
Prof Jiri took the opportunity to warn farmers over the high possibilities of witnessing outbreaks of the African armyworm given that the prevailing weather patterns are conducive for the pest’s development. He added that the severity and extent of outbreaks relied heavily on the extended dry spell that is most likely to be followed by rainstorms, which concentrate egg-laying moths and provide flushes of new grass as food for newly hatched caterpillars.
“Farmers should scout for pests particularly the African army worm,” said Prof Jiri stressing on the importance of mitigating the spread of pest.
He explained that delayed planting affected the growth, development and productivity of the plants therefore farmers should wrap up planting now to enhance the yield potential of their crops.
It is important for farmers to heed advice from their extension workers so that they can reach levels of profitability and get maximum value from the summer season.
“This season’s refresher courses will hammer on the Government’s thrust of farmers taking farming as a business on the backdrop of the current moves to invest in the commercialisation of rural agriculture through the rural development agenda,” he said. – The Herald
