The Herald Conrad Mupesa Mashonaland West Bureau THE incessant rains being experienced in some parts of the country are threatening crop yields especially for tobacco and cotton. In the last few weeks, Zimbabwe has been experiencing a lot of rain, which has affected crop maturity. On Monday, widespread thunderstorms were recorded and heavy falls in excess of 70mm were measured at Gokwe (73mm).
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Source: Incessant rains threaten crops | The Meteorological Services Department said other significant amounts were recorded at Hwange (30mm), Lupane (29mm), Mhondoro (29mm) and Beitbridge (27mm). But the low pressure system that was responsible for the current wet spell has significantly weakened, probably raising hope that if the situation had not gone beyond redemption, some crops may still produce decent yields. Some farmers in Mashonaland West fear that some of their crops may not recover if the rains persist. A youthful cotton farmer from Alaska near Chinhoyi, Mr Talent Majoni, said the continuous rains have started taking a toll on the late planted crop “Cotton is a drought-resistant crop and it pulls through even on low rainfall. “So, the continuous downpours we are experiencing here affect the crop maturity,” he said. A communal tobacco farmer from Zvimba, Mr Stewart Karize, said the rains had affected the ripening stage of his crop. The rains have seen most tobacco ...
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