Black frost destroys citrus, horticulture

Farmers who spoke to The Zimbabwean said their crops had been destroyed by frost bite, which hit most parts of Matabeleland destroying crops such as tomatoes, cabbages, potatoes, maize and flowers.

“I lost my entire one hectare of tomato crop to the frost. All along I have been irrigating my crop every day to prevent the frost – but all was in vain. This is a big loss considering that the tomatoes were almost ripe,” said Tobias Khan, a farmer in Trenance.

Khan said since he started farming in 1999 he has not experienced such a severe frost as the one which damaged his crop last week.

The frost also left a trail of destruction at a flower producing farm owned by Richard Khumalo along the Bulawayo/Victoria Falls road.

“We haven’t experienced such a severe frost as this one before. It must have been the black frost I have heard of that destroys everything. I lost my entire flower crop which was meant for export to South Africa,” said Khumalo.

One of the biggest producers of horticultural produce and citrus fruits, Willgrove Farm Enterprise in Esigodini in Matabeleland South also had its tomato crop and citrus plantation damaged by the frost.

Early frost can be detrimental to crops especially if the development has been delayed.

The extent of damage caused frost depends on the temperature, length of exposure time, humidity levels and speed to which the freezing temperature was reached.

Frost damage occurs as moisture within the plant crystallises and expands. This causes cells to rupture and fluid to leak out thus, the watery appearance of plant tissue or seed after a damaging frost. Last week temperatures plummeted to as low as minus 11 degrees with some areas recording temperatures as low as minus 4 degrees Celsius.