Though soya beans are prone to attack by 30 different diseases, government has managed to provide pesticides to keep the menace under control.
“Farmers would be advised to venture into soya beans farming given the low farming costs involved and the availability of pesticides to deal with likely diseases which might affect the crop. The only devastating disease is Soya Bean Rust but government has the means to keep it under check.
“For the past 20 years the crop in some parts of the country was also prone to Red Leaf Blotch and Frog Eye Leaf Spot, but as with other diseases government was equal to the challenge. Other minor diseases would come and go,” said Levy.
“Farmers should be motivated by the fact that soya bean seed producers are breeding new varieties of seed that are resistant to common diseases. These are already on the market and are doing well for farmers,” he said.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union Vice President Berean Mukwande said soya beans was an easy crop to farm especially in red soil areas as it does not need top dressing. The crop is easy to market and farmers get instant cash unlike cotton and maize.
A number of farmers have switched from cotton to soya beans as a result of poor marketing seasons.
“I abandoned cotton farming and shifted to soya beans some three years ago due to frustrations caused by poor prices for cotton. I have never regretted the move and will grow the crop for as long as it remains this viable,” said Memory Makoto of Dotito in Mount Darwin.
Soya bean farming is expected to increase following injection of $35 million by government and the private sector. Presenting the 2013 budget Finance Minister Tendai Biti said soya bean production would increase from 75,000 tons last year to 11,000 tons this season.
This was attributed to the increasing demand for the crop and its by-products. Soya beans have multiple uses that include production of cooking oil, stock feed and other edible foods.
“The cash injection included the $5.6 million by Olivine industries, $25 million Agricultural Marketing Authority bills and $5 million tripartite initiated facility involving the Grain Marketing Board, Agribank, farmers and oil expressers. The Infrastructural Development Bank has also expressed interest in sponsoring 10,000 hectares of soya beans on the Agricultural Rural Development Authority Estates,” said Biti.
Post published in: Agriculture
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