Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Professor Obert Jiri, has urged farmers to prioritise timely planting and the selection of suitable seed varieties this season.
In a statement, yesterday, Prof Jiri warned that the anticipated weather conditions would leave farmers with limited room for mistakes, making careful planning and crop management critical to protecting yields and strengthening food security.
“This season, what you plant and when you plant matter more than how much you plant. In a normal year, a farmer can recover from a late start or a poor choice of seed. In an El Niño year there is little room for error,” he said.
He said farmers should prepare for fewer and less reliable rains, with the hottest and driest period potentially coinciding with the critical stages of germination and crop establishment.
“The rains are expected to be fewer and less reliable, and the hottest, driest stretch is likely to fall just as crops are germinating and establishing,” Prof Jiri said.
He emphasised that farmers should focus on making informed decisions about the size of their cultivated land, the timing of planting and the varieties they choose, rather than expanding hectarage without considering prevailing weather conditions.
According to Prof Jiri, a well-managed smaller plot planted with appropriate seed at the right time could produce better yields than a larger field planted without proper planning.
“A smaller field, planted with the right seed at the right time and well cared for, will often outyield a large field planted on hope,” he said.
The permanent secretary urged farmers to align their agricultural practices with the season’s expected conditions instead of relying on favourable rainfall patterns that may not materialise.
“Plant for the season we are getting, not the one we hope for,” he said.
His remarks highlight the importance of climate-smart farming practices, including selecting suitable crop varieties, taking advantage of effective planting opportunities and maintaining fields carefully to maximise available moisture.
With rainfall reliability, a key concern, farmers’ decisions on what to grow and when to plant will be important in determining productivity and safeguarding household food supplies during the agricultural season.
