“We have lost hope that our crops will give us any meaningful yield after these rains because the majority of the crops have been uprooted or severely damaged,” said a villager only identified as Bramson from Katsande village.
Shelter Bhauleni from Makaha village said their fields were swept away by heavy rains that fell last week, crushing all hopes of a good harvest.
She said: “We planted our crops a bit later than last year because we failed to realise any meaningful harvest because we planted our crops early and the rains came late when the plants had already dried up.”
She said the prospects of harvesting peanuts, which came to their rescue in the last farming season, were also bleak. “Peanuts and sweet potatoes do very well in these soils, but the bulk of the plants have all been swept away,” she said.
Another villager said they had placed all hope on the government’ s grain loan scheme. Deren Nyamambititi of Nyamande in Makaha said “We hope the government will assist us because as it is, there is no hope of any harvest. We are facing starvation.”
Last week, the Meteorological Services Department warned people in Manicaland, Mashonaland and Matabeleland North provinces to brace for heavy rains and violent thunderstorms. Heavy rains in excess of 50 mm in 24 hours were expected.
Post published in: News