Government has urged farmers to utilise the current rains by planting root and tuber crops such as sweet potatoes and cassava before the end of the month to ensure household food security.
With the rising shift towards more traditional foods, there is a huge demand for these crops which are rich in natural sugars.
An Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (AGRITEX) farmer advisory bulletin released at the weekend has encouraged farmers to tap into commercial production of sweet potatoes and cassava.
To ensure increased production and profitability, farmers are encouraged to practise key sweet potato and cassava good agronomic practices.
“Farmers should use terminal cuttings as planting material for healthy, vigorous growing, pest and disease free produce. There is a need to incorporate 300kg/ha Compound C or S as basal fertiliser to a sweet potato crop during ridge formation. Also apply 100kg per hectare of Ammonium Nitrate as top dressing 4 to 6 weeks after planting. Farmers must avoid over application of top dressing fertiliser as it causes excessive vegetative growth of vines at the expense of tuber development and reduces the produce’s shelf life,” read the statement.
Government is distributing virus free sweet potato vines to smallholder farmers through the Horticulture Recovery Plan and farmers are advised to preserve their own planting material off season.
The variety to grow depends on the length of the growing period, yield potential and preference of intended market.
The improved high yielding white fleshed sweet potato varieties available in Zimbabwe are Brontal, Cordner, Chingovha and German 2.
The recommended orange fleshed sweet varieties are Alisha, Victoria, Delvia, Namanga, Irene and Sumaia.
The department also indicates that while improved cassava varieties are Maus7 (M7) and EX Muzarabani (XM6), local cassava varieties such as Smart farmer, Rushinga white, Chimanimani and Sludge may be grown by farmers as well.
It also showed that reputable nurseries which produce virus free sweet potato and cassava planting material include Tobacco Research Board, (TRB), Department of Research and Specialists Services(DR&SS) Research Stations (Horticulture research Institute — Marondera, Chiredzi Research Station, Panimure) University of Zimbabwe, Chinhoyi University of Technology and Africa university.
Sweet potato and cassava are adaptable to traditional farming systems, drought tolerant, perform well in relatively poor soils with low soil fertility and have low labour requirements. These crops also require little attention due to their aggressive growth habits, mature early, are easy to cultivate and process.
Former Zimbabwe National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) vice president Mr Edward Dune said it is now too late to continue planting maize, adding that farmers should focus more on growing sweet potatoes and cassava.
He said farmers should grow crops that will make them earn a living.
“We cannot continue planting maize at the moment. It’s time to grow sweet potatoes at a commercial level to ensure that we sustain our families as well as to earn a lot of money from this. Sweet potato is a drought tolerant crop with the potential to enhance food and nutrition security, especially for subsistence and small-scale farmers in the country,” he said.
Zimbabwe Indigenous Women Farmers’ Association Trust president Mrs Depinah Nkomo said this is the best time to plant sweet potatoes, sugar beans and cassava, adding that farmers cannot continue planting maize.
“Farmers with irrigations are the ones who can plant maize this time since the season has progressed. Farmers should diversify to traditional crops because of the high demand on the market and awareness being carried out on the importance of healthy foods,” she said.
The second round Crop and Livestock Assessment (CLA) report for 2022 showed that sweet potato yields had decreased from 422 613 tonnes in the 2020/2021 season to about 207 529 tonnes for the 2021/2022 season, a 51 percent decline.
As the country requires 318 080 tonnes of sweet potato annually, the projected 207 529 tonnes for 2021/22 season translates into a deficit of 110 551 tonnes. – The Herald
