MAIZE YIELD PROJECTED AT 16% BELOW TARGET

MBABANE – Preliminary projections place the anticipated maize yield at 100 000 metric tons for this ploughing season, which is about 16 per cent shy of the initial 120 000 target.

This is attributable to the delayed delivery of farming subsidy inputs as currently, about 40 per cent of the targeted farmers in the Highveld are yet to receive farming subsidy inputs. The delivery is more positive for the Shiselweni and Lubombo region where about 20 per cent of the farmers listed, are yet to receive their subsidies, according to Agriculture Minister Moses Vilakati. He is highly optimistic though, that the farming season looks set to go beyond the norm, given the incessant rains over the past few weeks. These rains have come with storms which have ravaged some of the cultivated fields which could affect overall yields. “We are still assessing the impact of the storms which have ravaged many fields. We have confirmed areas such as Elangeni, Dvokodvweni and Kashewula as being hardest hit followed by others areas like Dvudvusini, Mankayane and others.

“Judging by the heat, we can anticipate more storms but we are working together with the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office that is responsible for Disaster management. We have referred some of these cases and the affected farmers are compensated with legumes which can still grow in the remainder of the season,” said Vilakati. Despite this setback, the minister is highly optimistic of reaching close to the country’s food self sufficiency targets. “We are happy to see many fields being ploughed. It is difficult to give an estimation of fields cultivated because due to government tractor challenges, many farmers resorted to using private tractors and they have not come back to report this to us,” he said.
The farmers union could not be reached for comment yesterday on the impact the delayed farming subsidy inputs and tractor shortages have had on its members. The country is still recovering from the devastating effects of the El Nino drought that ravaged the Southern African region which hit hard on the country’s vulnerable population, 63 per cent of which live below the poverty line. About 350 000 people were left in urgent need of food assistance following the El Niño-induced drought, according to the country’s annual vulnerability assessment for 2016.

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