Swazi Observer

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SCORCHING SUN DAMAGING CROPS

By Lubombo News | 2024-11-26

THE heatwave experienced in many parts of the country has caused immeasurable damage to crops such as maize in the rural areas.

Maize farming is the backbone of livelihoods in many parts of the country. In the midst of a high rate of unemployment, many people have engaged in subsistence and commercial farming for sustenance.

The heatwave, which at some instances reached to 38 degree Celsius in some parts of the Lubombo region, has seen many domestic farmers losing hope in this year’s farming season.

Under normal circumstances, farmers plough their fields between October and December.
Most of the farmers would be weeding their fields during the festive season. However, with the current heat, such is unlikely to happen.

Some farmers who spoke to this publication disclosed that their crops were severely affected by the heat.

Musawenkhosi Fakudze of Ka-Langa said he recently sowed maize seeds at his fields at Matsetsa. Fakudze said, however, the maize has not germinated as it has not rained ever since.

Similarly, Fakudze said he also planted sweet potatoes just after a considerable rain was experienced early last month.

“The leaves just burnt away as there has been no rain after that heavy rainfall experienced last month,” he said. Fakudze said he was now considering ploughing the land afresh, with the hope that there would be rain within the next couple of weeks.

Another farmer Mbuso Langa of Maphungwane said his maize crop was drying up as a result of the heatwave.

Langa said he ploughed his fields early last month with the hope that he would be harvesting at around February next year. Langa said he normally ploughed his fields two times in each farming season. “I usually cultivate maize on a subsistence scale so that I am able to provide for my family,” he said.

heatwave
Places which have been hit hard by the heatwave include Magwanyana, Sibovini, Maphungwane, amongst others, under Matsanjeni North constituency.

Bucopho of Lugongolweni, Sikhumbuzo Nkuna also shared similar sentiments to the effect that many places under his constituency had been affected by the heat. Nkuna said residents under Mhlumeni, Sitsatsaweni, Ka-Langa, Matsetsa and Lonhlupheko were already foreseeing a hunger situation. Nkuna disclosed that the heatwave had also resulted in many water sources drying up. “We had a dam at Mhlumeni which was used by farmers for their farming projects.

The dam has dried up,” he said. Nkuna said some residents were now dependent on a programme which is run by World Vision Eswatini. The programme is known as Dlani usebente. Residents are engaged in community work and then given food handouts.

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