Zambia: Delay in Rainfall Worries Nkeyema Tobacco Farmers

Source from:  The Post 11/20/2015

TOBACCO farmers in Nkeyema district of Western Province are concerned about the delayed onset of rains and have called on the Meteorological Department and the Ministry of Agriculture to advise farmers countrywide on when to start planting crops.

Kazhila Kalumina, a tobacco farmer of Nkeyema, said farmers were left in suspense on when to start planting following the delay in rains.

"These are the effects of climate change; we are now in the middle of the month of November and we haven't yet received the first rains. This is worrying because we don't know when we are going to start planting," Kalumina said.

He urged the government, through the Minister of Agriculture, to educate farmers countrywide on how to handle the current situation.

"As it stands right now, we don't know how the weather will be in the next few weeks. And this is the time that people really need to be educated and informed on many issues pertaining to farming and weather patterns," said Kalumina.

"The Ministry of Agriculture and the Meteorological Department should start sensitising farmers, especially local farmers, on climatic change and farming so that they don't waste their seed by planting at the wrong time."

And another tobacco farmer, Muyunda Mwauluka, said the government should employ more agricultural extension officers to sensitise people on what to grow in times of little rainfall.

"We have a crisis in our country not only to do with lack of rainfall but also agricultural officers who can reach out to rural farmers and sensitise them on the type of seed to grow and even the type of crops to grow," said Mwauluka.

"And in helping farmers countrywide, there is need for government to employ more agricultural extension officers to sensitise people on how to handle issues of climate change and farming because even us tobacco growers, we don't know when we should start planting. It is really worrying this year." Enditem