(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) Farmers predict high yields
Sunday, 12 January 2014 00:00
Mercy Bofu
The Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union (ZFU) has expressed confidence that the country will reach its maize production target of 2,2 million tonnes following the favourable rainfall the country has received in recent weeks.
In an interview last week, ZFU vice-president Mr Berean Mukwende said farmers were also geared towards high output on the back of the input support they received from Government.
He, however, encouraged maize producers who are still planting to wind up and shift focus to other food crops.
“We are encouraged by the downpour and we hope that this continues throughout the season so that we achieve our targeted hectarage, especially on maize where we are targeting 2 million tonnes.
“I am sure this is achievable considering the support that farmers got from the Government. Up to now I can confirm that farmers are still receiving fertilisers under the Government scheme.
“We are also encouraging farmers to wind up the planting of food crops like maize since it is now late. Rather, they can concentrate on crops like sugar beans and cow peas.”
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president Mr Wonder Chabikwa concurred, saying the rainfall pattern was encouraging.
“Though some low-lying areas were affected by flooding since they were receiving high rainfall daily, we foresee a great future in terms of yields,” he said.
“We are also expecting increased yields for cotton and tobacco. Many farmers are now in the fifth reaping season.”
Over the past few years, the country has harvested low yields owing to erratic rainfall, forcing authorities to turn to grain imports.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, MAIZE, RAINFALL
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Met expects increase in rainfall
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Tue 31 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
THE expected improvement in rainfall activities will enhance crop development to get into the vegetative stage, says the Zambia Meteorological Department.
According to the crop weather forecast of up to January 4, 2014, the Meteorological Department expects an increase in rainfall due to the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) that is oscillating about the central and southern parts of the country.
"The expected improvement in rainfall activities in the next dekad will enhance crop development to get into the vegetative stage.
However, farmers that are still planting are advised to plant early maturing seed to ensure better yield," it stated.
The department added that rainfall activities experienced in most parts of the country enhanced soil moisture levels, making it favourable for planting and re-planting of maize seed especially over Lusaka, Central, Eastern and Muchinga provinces where commencement of the rainy season was delayed.
"A slight reduction in rainfall towards the end of the dekad was good for weeding and application of basal dressing fertilisers," the Meteorological Department stated.
Mongu recorded the highest rainfall amount at 196 millimetres during the dekad under review, followed by 178mm recorded in Livingstone.
Solwezi recorded 173mm while Kasama recorded 168mm.
"Other significant rainfall amounts include 113mm from Petauke, 112mm from Kasempa, 109mm from Choma and 103mm from Lusaka City Airport. The rest of the stations reported amounts less than 100mm, with the lowest of 15mm being recorded in Chipata. The number of rainy days was quite high as most stations recorded rainy days ranging between six and eight," it stated, adding that much of the eastern half of Zambia had continued recording below normal rainfall while the western half had recorded normal to above normal rainfall.
"Above normal rainfall has been recorded in most parts of Western Province and few areas over Southern Province. These include Livingstone and Chipepo with surpluses of 24 per cent and 27 per cent, respectively. The highest deficit of 77 per cent has been recorded in Chipata."
Labels: ITCZ, RAINFALL
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COMMENT - Ignore the neoliberal 'we can't wait for the government' spin, and the fact is that irrigation is they key to consistency in agricultural output for Zimbabwe and Southern Africa, and that small on-farm ponds are the way to go. Ignore the fake concerns about 'holes in the landscape'.
Esigodini ignores govt, digs own ‘dams’
03/03/2013 00:00:00
by Alertnet
FOR the smallholder farmers in arid Esigodini, just south of Bulawayo, the heavy downpours that have hit the area in recent months have been a godsend. "We have not seen this much rain in years," said farmer Brenda Zulu.
The rains first came in January, destroying homes and claiming lives as people were caught unawares. But farmers struggling to grow crops and raise livestock in the traditionally low-rainfall area surrounding Zimbabwe's second-largest city realised that if they could find a way to harness the deluge, they could use it to help their thirsty farms. So the villagers grouped together and started digging.
"It was a community suggestion that we dig the earth to trap the water," said Zulu as she scooped water from an artificial pond her community created. The size of a small tennis court, the pond now serves as a reservoir for scores of farms in the area.
She uses the water to water her kitchen garden and fill a trough for her small herd of livestock. "It seems to be helping a lot," she said.
Nobody knows exactly how much water the makeshift ponds hold, but Zulu said her communities believes theirs should have enough to sustain their small farms for the next few months.
With no access to groundwater and no sign of help from the local authorities
That would be the MDC - MrK
to deal with worsening shortages, Zulu and her fellow villagers feel that making their own ponds could be the only answer.
"It was already a depressed gulley and we extended it as no one seems to offer solutions for our water problems," she said. "We did this ourselves."
Flood then drought
For the farmers in Esigodini, who have experienced successive years of drought, building a lake was an act of desperation, driven by the fear of not knowing when, or how much, rain will next fall.
But experts say Zimbabweans can learn to adapt to changing and increasingly severe weather patterns.
Sobona Mtisi, a climate change researcher with the Overseas Development Institute, a London-based research group, said rainfall in Zimbabwe does appear to follow a pattern.
By understanding that pattern, people should be able to prepare for the droughts and floods that have been afflicting the country, Mtisi said.
"Most villagers in the flood-prone areas are aware of the fact that in the past few decades the frequency and intensity of floods has been increasing," Mtisi said.
"Similarly, policymakers are aware of the increased frequency of droughts and floods in Zimbabwe."
From 2000 to 2010, Zimbabwe had four floods, the researcher said.
"This means that we have a flood (on average) every 2.5 years," he says.
"The evidence which should form the basis for communities and policymakers to understand the shifts in climate is there and irrefutable."
But until someone figures out how to use that evidence to help Zimbabwe's smallholder farmers deal with the cycle of drought and flood, they will look for ways to help themselves - such as digging ponds and lakes.
"We have to find ways to trap the water not just with our small buckets," said Sithabile Fuzwayo, another Esigodini smallholder. "Water is a serious problem and as long no one comes along to help, we will seek our own solutions."
Rainwater harvesting is nothing new among many communities in Zimbabwe, but it is usually done using small containers that are inadequate to meet longer-term needs of farmers.
The act of investing labour into digging the ground to trap the coming rain is an innovative step — one that more famers might decide they have to take.
Own solutions
Despite the heavy downpours this season in normally low-rainfall areas around Bulawayo, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) says not enough of the water has made it into supply dams, due to blockages in drainage systems.
For farmers like Zulu, Fuzwayo and others, efforts to trap the water themselves seem the only viable solution. Some environmentalists, however, warn that hand-dug rainwater harvesting ponds could potentially create long-term risks.
"It shows just how poorly the rain problem has been dealt with at local levels, in ways that could in fact bring catastrophic results," warned Gilmore Sithole, an environmentalist and agricultural extension officer with the country’s agriculture ministry.
"We just cannot have people digging up the ground without proper monitoring. We have to imagine what kind of gaping holes will be left in the countryside when the dry season sets in."
But like other farmers, Zulu isn't thinking about the long-term risks of her pond. Her main concern is having enough water to keep her garden and livestock alive.
According to the Zimbabwe Meteorological Services Department, the wet spell in the traditionally dry parts of the country's south is expected to continue into March.
This is the time when farmers should be preparing to harvest, and the continuing rainfall could damage crops. But that is a risk the farmers are willing to take if it means the chance to trap more water — and feel a little less helpless in the face of Zimbabwe's unpredictable weather.
"We no longer have any knowledge of the rain cycle," Zulu said. "But we welcome all the rain we can get."
Labels: DAMS, IRRIGATION, RAINFALL
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Farmers in the dark
Monday, 22 October 2012 07:03
Senior Agriculture Reporter
MOST farmers have not yet received the interpreted versions of the 2012/13 weather forecast amid reports that Agritex officers are incapacitated to reach out to them. The Meteorological Department recently forecast that Zimbabwe would have a normal to below normal rainy season. The forecast has a lot of technical terms that makes it crucial for Agritex to convert it before issuing it to farmers.
Agritex has since received the forecast for conversion to allow farmers to use the information in their preparations. Farmers make use of the weather information in making important decisions such as choosing crop varieties and deciding on the time to start planting.
A senior Agritex official Mrs Morleen Mupandawana last week told farmers attending a meeting in Harare that her department was failing to effectively reach out to them because of transport challenges.
“We have to rely on partners to do most of our tasks because we do not have the means to travel to all the farming areas,” Mrs Mupandawana said.
“The problem is worsened by the fact that the majority of our extension staff is inexperienced and is still learning to convert weather forecasts to extension messages. We also need a lot of resources for the training of staff in this regard.”
Mrs Mupandawana said her department’s shortcomings created a gap in farmers’ knowledge of the climatic developments taking place in their different agro-ecological regions.
Labels: METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, RAINFALL
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Experts predict normal rainfall for 2012/13 season
Saturday, 25 August 2012 00:00
Tarisai Machakaire Herald Reporter
SOUTHERN Africa will receive normal to above normal rainfall for the 2012/2013 farming season, weather experts have said.
The experts, who attended the just-ended Southern Regional Climate Outlook Forum in Harare, said the region was expected to receive normal to above normal rainfall during the first part of the season from October to December.
However, the southern, eastern, northern parts and Madagascar are expected to get normal to below normal rains over the same period.
The entire region is expected to receive normal to above normal rains for the second part of the season covering January to March.
The period between October and March is the main rainfall season for most of Southern Africa.
Meteorological Services Department director Dr Amos Makarau said the local weather forecast will be issued in due course.
“We came out with a consensus forecast, member-states will have a zoomed out product which has
more details,” he said.
The Outlook Forum, that was hosted by the Meteorological Services Department, was aimed at presenting a consensus forecast for the 2012/13 farming season.
Principal director in the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development Mr Valentine Sinemani highlighted the importance of the forum in assisting Governments to make economic decisions.
“The SARCOF process provides us with a critical decision tool for Government as it ensures that we are better prepared for the upcoming season as many sectors of the economy are tied to seasonal climate patterns,” he said.
Extremes in climate variations, which are perennial in the region, could wreak havoc to socio-economic development.
“Every effort needs to be deployed to strengthen the SARCOF process as it provides a credible early warning mechanism on adverse seasonal climatic conditions.
“It is one of the tools used by governments in planning so as to meet Millennium Development Goals on food security and poverty alleviation,” he said.
University of Zimbabwe Physics Department representative Mrs Juliet Gwenzi urged experts to engage local systems when deciding on seasonal factors.
“Many of the local systems that are backbone to community resilience are being viewed as primitive yet they have become important tools to understanding climate change and variability,” said Mrs Gwenzi.
She said it was important for weather forecasts to be presented in local languages that are easily understood by farmers.
“Rural and poor people are vulnerable to climate change and variability but they don’t fully understand the idea of uncertainty and probability,” she said.
Sadc secretariat Dr Vitalis Chipfakacha said it was important for the health sector to be directly involved in decisions and predictions on climate to be able to facilitate help in the case of health hazards.
Labels: RAINFALL
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No maize bumper harvest this farming season, says Chenda
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Thu 12 Jan. 2012, 13:50 CAT
THE country will not produce a maize bumper harvest this farming season, says agriculture minister Emmanuel Chenda, but assured that the drop in grain output will not necessitate importation.
Last season, the country harvested over three million tonnes of maize, its life-blood crop, up from 2.8 million tonnes the previous season, resulting in a surplus of 1.6 million tonnes.
The record maize output had been attributed to a strong government subsidy programme that provides fertilizer and seeds to peasants and new farming methods aimed at boosting yields, while good rains had been key.
Chenda said the poor rainfall pattern during the current farming season dampened hopes of another record maize output.
He said the dry start to the current rainy season had hit some maize growing regions of Southern, Eastern, Central and far-flung areas of Lusaka province.
"My own assessment is that yes, we have a problem but it's too early for us to determine whether this is an issue which is drastic and may require external intervention," Chenda said in an interview.
"We will be able to have sufficient maize for our own use, what perhaps, would be said, we will not have the bumper harvest we had if this rainfall pattern prolongs, but we will be food secure in country."
He explained that the poor start to the rainy season, coupled with the prolonged partial droughts, hurt geminating seeds, resulting in some small-scale farmers replanting early maturing maize late.
"Some people were forced to re-plant as a late as 31st December or early January," he said.
"Under the FISP Farmer Input Support Programme, we do not give early maturity seeds, and so, meaning that if there are some farmers who got the seed under FISP and they are planting in December, or early January, we have to pray that the rains are prolonged."
Chenda said the PF government was increasing the strategic storage reserves from 300,000 metric tonnes to 600,000 metric tonnes in view of the current unfavourable rainfall patterns.
Zambia currently consumes 80,000 metric tonnes of maize, and according to Chenda, the country had in reserves maize for seven months cover.
Chenda, who said there was need to improve extension services to ensure farmers planted to the correct seed variety, said a deficit in maize was going to disturb macroeconomic fundamentals in the country, and also cause inflationary pressure owing to an increased demand for food.
"We have to ensure that the maize we have is properly stored and fumigated, properly secured. That is the direction we are pushing," he said.
"We want people in the rural areas to have at least their own food so that we do not begin to fight for the same food that is reserved for the people in town. That will push the demand because the food reserves we have are for the people in urban areas."
Chenda, however, said the government was not considering suspending maize exports as the country needed to clear backlog stocks from successive bumper harvests which strained the limited storage capacity.
Labels: MAIZE, RAINFALL
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Erratic rainfall worries farmers
By Gift Chanda
Mon 02 Jan. 2012, 13:40 CAT
FARMERS say they are unsettled by this year's rainfall pattern. In an interview, Joshua Mweemba, a farmer in Southern Province, said the rainfall pattern this year threatens food security in the province. Mweemba observed that the rains this season lacked consistency, which could lead to poor yields being recorded.
"We are having too many dry spells and this is a source of concern to us," he said.
"The danger is that we may get poor yields because we planted early and because the fertiliser arrived late, we didn't apply on time."
Another farmer and member of the Itezhi-tezhi farmers association, Frederick Katabu also raised concern over rainfall situation in the area.
He said the area was receiving reduced rains this year compared with the same period last season.
In Kabompo, the district association chairperson Jonas Kapapila said moderate rains were being recorded in the area.
"The rains here are okay. It is moderate. The only problem is that this is when some people are starting to plant their seeds because the seeds arrived late," he said.
"So that is our only worry when it comes to crop yields." In Solwezi, farmers said it was raining heavily.
Meanwhile, weather updates from the Zambia Metrological Department (ZMD) indicate that most parts of the country have been receiving reduced rainfall in the last two weeks.
ZMD senior meteorological officer Loveness Shabalengu last Tuesday predicted a general increase in rainfall activities across the country.
She said the increase in rainfall activity across the country was expected to continue into the new year with the rains likely to be more predominant over the Copperbelt, North Western and Western provinces.
Labels: RAINFALL
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Most parts of Zim receive significant rains
Wednesday, 23 November 2011 00:00
Herald Reporters
MOST parts of the country received significant rains on Monday, bringing relief to farmers and cooling temperatures after a persistent heat wave. In Harare, the rains continued yesterday.
However, the Meteorological Services Department could not give exact dates of the onset and cessation of the rainy season. Met Department senior meteorological officer Mr Jonathan Chifuna yesterday said Masvi-ngo recorded the highest rainfall measuring 95mm on Monday.
Plumtree got 64mm, Beitbridge 48mm, Hwange 40mm, Victoria Falls 38mm, Tsholotsho 29mm and Kezi 25mm.
He said a cloud band that moved into the western parts of the country from the west last Saturday resulted in showers at the weekend.
"Notable falls were recorded at Matopos with 31mm and Bulawayo Goetz Observatory with 25mm. As from Monday, the cloud band moved to cover the whole country and this resulted in moderate to heavy falls across the country," he said.
The current cloud system that was over the country was expected to persist up to November 30 with heavy falls expected on December 1 and 2, marking the beginning of the wet season. "Pressure rises over the southeast of the sub region should cause convergence across the country from Thursday to Friday, resulting in heavy falls," he said.
Mr Chifuna said the rains will be mostly confined to the south of the main watershed areas such as Masvingo, Matabeleland South, South of Midlands and Bulawayo.
"These rains are expected to be around 50mm in 24 hours," he said.
Zimbabwe expects a normal rainfall season during the 2011/12 cropping season.
The first half of the season, which covers October, November and December, is expected to have normal rains with a bias towards below normal rains, while the second half (January, February and
March) is expected to have normal rains with a bias towards above normal.
Meanwhile, farmers across the country are busy with land preparations and buying inputs.
In Masvingo, farmers were upbeat that the drought-prone province had a good start.
A survey by The Herald yesterday showed that communal farmers in Gutu, Zaka and Bikita had already planted maize with rains received three weeks ago.
"We are happy that the rains have finally come because we were worried that our maize crop might not germinate well after we planted using the first rains that disappeared soon after that. The rains have brought relief to us and we are very excited," said Mr Solomon Chinaka from Mupinga Village in Gutu.
Some parts of Manicaland Province that traditionally record bumper harvests have received a fair share of rains.
Planting is progressing well in areas such as Headlands, Mayo, Chiendambuya, Nyazura, Rusape, Odzi, Osborne, Honde Valley, Chimanimani and parts of Chipinge and Nyanga district.
However, drier and low-lying areas such as Buhera, Lowveld, Marange and parts of Makoni, Nyanga and Mutasa districts have received some light showers and soil moisture was insufficient for planting.
Manicaland Agritex officer Mr Godfrey Mamhare yesterday (today) said there has not been uniformity in the rainfall patterns throughout the province.
"The rains have not fully covered the whole of Manicaland, and the situation is promising in those areas that are perennially known for receiving normal to above rains. The drier parts of the province, which comprise the bulky of our communal areas has not received any rains to date, and no meaningful progress has been made in so far as planting is concerned," Mr Mamhare.
Labels: RAINFALL
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Farmers urged to prepare land as rain season beckons
Thursday, 03 November 2011 00:00
Agriculture Reporter
THE rains being experienced throughout Zimbabwe indicate a step towards the onset of the rainy season and experts have advised farmers to plan accordingly. The country has been receiving rains over the past few days, but the Meteorological Services Department says the rainy season has not yet started.
Senior Meteorological officer, Mr Jonathan Chifuna, yesterday said the rainfall activity has been witnessed across the country with other areas experiencing thunder and hailstorms.
"Thunderstorms associated with hail were a result of the high temperatures the country has been experiencing," he said.
"There is a high possibility of wind gusts, hailstorms and lightning as a result of the high temperatures experienced during the past days".
Mr Chifuna said daily temperatures had dropped drastically.
"Chiredzi recorded the highest temperature of 46 Degrees Celsius but today (Wednesday) recorded 29 Degrees Celsius," he said.
Mr Chifuna said farmers could continue with land preparations.
He, however, urged farmers to liaise with the relevant authorities for advice on farming activities.
Zimbabwe expects normal rainfall during the 2011/12 summer cropping season.
The first half of the season which covers October, November and December is expected to have normal rains with a bias towards below normal rains.
Region 1 comprising Mashonaland provinces, Harare, North Eastern parts of Manicaland Province and Matabeleland North Province expect normal rains with a bias towards below normal rainfall.
Region 2 and 3 comprising Matabeleland South, Masvingo, the bulk of the Midlands and extreme southern parts of Matabeleland South provinces are expected to receive below normal to normal rainfall during the first half of the rainfall season.
The Met department, however, does not have rains onset and cessation dates as these are expected to vary spatially.
Labels: RAINFALL
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Early rains agitate farmers
By Ndinawe Simpelwe
Tue 04 Oct. 2011, 10:10 CAT
THE early rains experienced in some parts of the country have left some maize farmers fearing for their harvests. The farmers said they did not have proper storage facilities and feared that the rains would destroy the grain, most of which was still
in their possession. Emmanuel Chibwe, a farmer from Kasama said most storage facilities were still in a deplorable state and needed rehabilitation.
"The problem is that most farmers still have a lot of maize and the rains seem to have come earlier than expected. If it continues like this, then we will see some of the maize being destroyed by rain. The challenge is what to do with the maize before the rain intensifies," Chibwe said.
He said it was not possible for the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to buy all the maize from the farmers because it had its own challenges. Chibwe, who also runs a farmers' cooperative, however urged the new government to quickly look into FRA's challenges, especially by building new storage facilities and improving the existing ones.
The Meteorological Department of Zambia has described the rains that the country has experienced as an abnormal pattern.
ZMD revealed that normal rain was expected to start after October 10. Chibwe said farmers were now preparing for the new planting season and awaiting supplies under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).
Labels: AGRICULTURE, FISP, KASAMA, RAINFALL
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Don’t panic over rains – Met Department
TIME PUBLISHED - Tuesday, May 24, 2011, 2:19 pm
Farmers have been advised not to panic over the rains that have hit North Western and Copperbelt provinces in the last two days. North Western Province Meteorological Officer Kameya Manjomba explains that the rains have been caused by moist flow from Congo DR into Central parts of Zambia.
Mr. Manjomba, however, says the rains will not continue and the normal dry pattern will resume. He says Solwezi, Mwinilunga,and Zambezi Districts in North-Western Province recorded at least two milliliters of rains last week.
And Copperbelt Meteorological Officer Nason Phiri says the rains which were experienced in the region for three days were caused by a dark heavy cloud emanating from North Western Region.
And the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit DMMU on the Copperbelt Province says there has been no damage to infrastructure and crops following the unusual rains recorded in the province.
DMMU Copperbelt Coordinator Hambayi Mweetwa says his office has not received any reports of crop damage.
Mr. Mweetwa says that a house in Chifubu area of Ndola collapsed because the owner was using the roof top as a storage bin.
[ ZNBC ]
Labels: METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, RAINFALL
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Met Dept sees reduction in rainfall
By Florence Bupe
Thu 25 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT
THE Zambia Meteorological Department has projected a general reduction in rainfall activities in most parts of the country from today through to the weekend.
In an interview, ZMD chief meteorological officer Chizgange Ngwira explained that
the moist Congo winds that had been responsible for increased rains in most parts of the country, including Western, Lupaula and North Western provinces, were slowly shifting and would no longer be the main influence by the weekend.
Over the last few days, Western, North Western, Copperbelt and Luapula provinces have recorded significant incidences of rain, with cloudy conditions prevailing.
“From Thursday, we expect a general reduction in rainfall activities in most areas, and by weekend we expect even a further reduction. We will be able to determine the rainfall activity for the period after the weekend at a later stage,” said Ngwira.
And the government has indicated plans to establish marine meteorological services at Kafulafuta and Nansanga farm blocks under the 2011 budget allocation.
The government has also disclosed plans to launch and implement the Meteorology Policy.
Labels: CHIZGANGE NGWIRA, METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, RAINFALL
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ZMD urges sheltering of grain as Luapula records rains
By Florence Bupe
Tue 12 Oct. 2010, 14:20 CAT
THE Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) has warned grain traders to secure their produce as rains in some parts of the country have been recorded.
In an interview, ZMD chief meteorological officer Chizgange Ngwira disclosed that some parts of Luapula Province had recorded about two millimeters of rain in the last two days.
“Over the next few days, we expect the extreme parts of North Western and Luapula Provinces to experience thunderstorms and rain. We are concerned that produce that has not been secured may go to waste,” Ngwira said.
“It is important that grain is stored in storage sheds or covered with tarpaulins before an increase in rainfall.”
And Ngwira has said most parts of the country would continue experiencing high temperatures, but explained that the prevailing weather was within the normal range.
Temperatures have been recorded between 35 and 42 degrees Celsius.
Ngwira explained that the prevailing high temperatures were a result of low wind levels, which help cool the atmosphere by acting as a ‘fan’.
“In the recent past, we’ve hardly had any wind and this has resulted in the hot weather conditions we’re currently experiencing,” he said.
Ngwira further disclosed that the meteorological department had approached the owners of the electronic display board at Lusaka’s Addis Ababa roundabout that was reflecting wrong temperature readings for Lusaka.
He said the department had received concerns from members of the public over the temperatures that had sometimes been showing as high as 57 degrees Celsius.
“What happens is that around midday, the figures go up but that’s a misrepresentation. We have already approached the owners of the display and they have assured us that they’ll get in touch with the manufacturer,” said Ngwira.
Labels: CHIZGANGE NGWIRA, METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, RAINFALL, ZMD
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Met dept projects dry spell over most parts of Zambia
By Florence Bupe
Thu 11 Mar. 2010, 07:50 CAT
"Much of the country, including Lusaka, Central and Western Provinces, would continue to experience dry weather patterns" THE Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) has projected a dry spell over most parts of the country during the current dekad (10-day period) to March 16, 2010.
In an interview, ZMD acting director Jacob Nkomoki disclosed that an anti- cyclonic flow over Botswana was affecting Zambia’s weather pattern.
“We currently have an anti-cyclonic flow over the Botswana area and that is bringing in dry weather over much of the country, especially Lusaka and the western parts of Zambia,” he said.
Most parts of the country had in the last dekads experienced excessive rainfall, which resulted in destructive floods over some areas.
Sinazongwe district was the worst hit with most infrastructures damaged during the heavy rainfall period.
Nkomoki said much of the country, including Lusaka, Central and Western Provinces, would continue to experience dry weather patterns, while parts of Luapula, Northern and Eastern Provinces would record rains.
“What the current weather pattern implies is that we will have sunny conditions over much of the country, but as we progress we expect the Copperbelt and North Western Provinces to start experiencing rains,” said Nkomoki.
Nkomoki predicted increased temperatures over the areas that will have no rainfall activity, but could not immediately give exact figures.
Labels: METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, RAINFALL
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ZMD predicts good harvest
By Fridah Zinyama
Fri 26 Feb. 2010, 08:00 CAT
THE ZAMBIA Meteorological Department (ZMD) has stated that most of the maize crops have reached grain filling and full ripeness stages and the water requirements have been met. And the department stated that an unstable north westerly airflow would affect most parts of Zambia from February 20 to 28 this year.
According to the crop weather bulletin, this signifies a likelihood of a good harvest this season.
“However, in Southern Province, the late planted crops in poor sandy soils have not performed well especially those in Kazungula district but with the expected favourable weather conditions in the next dekad, most crops are expected to improve,” the bulletin stated.
The bulletin also revealed that crops along the streams in Sinazongwe had been washed away by excessive flash floods which prevailed during the dekad.
“And some floods have been reported in some parts of Zambezi district, Lusaka and Senanga have been experiencing some flash floods,” the bulletin stated. “However, no reports of damaged crops have been received.”
The bulletin further stated that the whole country was expected to be mainly cloudy with rains in places during this dekad and heavier falls were expected to occur over Western, North Western provinces and the southern districts of Eastern Province.
Labels: METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, RAINFALL, ZMD
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Met dept predicts increased rainfall
By Florence Bupe
Fri 19 Feb. 2010, 04:02 CAT
THE Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) has projected increased rainfall over some parts of the country in the next one week. ZMD acting director Jacob Nkomoki stated that Lusaka, Central, Copperbelt and North Western provinces were likely to experience heavy rains during the period in question.
“During the week from February 17, 2010, there is a likelihood of rain occurring over much of Zambia, including the southern districts of Eastern Province.
This is because of the relatively moist winds from the northwest, coupled with a low pressure centre which is likely to cover much of the western half of Zambia,” he explained.
Nkomoki stated that the heavy rainfall pattern was later expected to spread and affect Western and Southern provinces by the weekend, and continue into the next week.
Some parts of the country, including Lusaka, have over the last few weeks been hit by heavy rains, which have resulted in floods.
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Poor rainfall threatens food security among Goba people
By Namatama Mundia
Wed 10 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT
CHIEFTAINESS Chiawa of the Goba people of Lusaka Province fears there will be food insecurity in her chiefdom because of the bad rainfall pattern.
In an interview yesterday, chieftainess Chiawa said the dry spell which Chiawa experienced dried most crops.
“There was drought in Chiawa when other parts of the country were receiving rains but again when rains started, they have been very heavy and have destroyed my people’s crops which were replanted during the drought period,” she said.
Chieftainess Chiawa called on the Partnership with Investment Project, a project where agribusiness technical assistance is offered to local farmers, to continue supporting the villagers with fertiliser, seed and farming equipment so that food insecurity is reduced.
“When investors saw the seriousness of farmers who had cleared land, they gave them caterpillars, seed and fertiliser and such projects are important because they reduce hunger,” she said.
Chieftainess Chiawa said the project has seen men and women do rotational guarding of their crops during day and night time so that they are not destroyed by hippos.
She said about 500x50 kilogrammes of maize were harvested during the last farming season from the same project.
Labels: CHIEFTAINESS CHIAWA, FOOD, HUNGER, RAINFALL
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ZMD forecasts more heavy rains in central Zambia
By Florence Bupe
Thu 04 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT
THE Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) has projected continued heavy rainfall activity over Lusaka, Copperbelt and Central provinces.
In an interview, ZMD acting director Jacob Nkomoki explained that the current rainfall patterns being experienced in some parts of the country would continue into early next week.
“We are expecting to continue receiving more rains over Lusaka, Copperbelt, Central, northern districts of Southern Province and eastern parts of North Western Province,” Nkomoki explained. “The reason is that we have a fairly strong ITCZ (inter tropical convergence zone) which is actually concentrated on the southern parts of Zambia.”
Nkomoki explained that the ITCZ, which originated from north and central Mozambique, was moving slowly toward Western Province where rainfall was expected to increase once the zone rests over the province.
He said the areas currently affected by heavy rains were expected to get relief once the zone shifted to the west.
“The ITCZ is moving at a very slow rate to the western parts of the country. We expect places like Lusaka to start experiencing reduced rainfall by Sunday,” he said.
Nkomoki said the department was currently assessing the possibility of floods in the affected areas, but could not give a clear picture of the situation immediately.
“We did indicate that we are expecting normal to above normal rainfall, meaning we are currently getting in excess of what we anticipated. In this case, we are assessing the possibility of floods but w- day period,” said Nkomoki.
Labels: RAINFALL, ZMD
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ZMD projects increase in rainfall countrywide
By Fridah Zinyama and Mutale Kapekele
Tue 26 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT
THE Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) has projected an increase in rainfall activities across the country.
According to a weather bulletin released yesterday, the increase in rainfall is as a result of the weakening of the high pressure over eastern South Africa which has been ridging into Zambia and reducing chances of rainfall in many places, especially over the southern half of the country.
And in Southern Province, the department stated that an active Congo air boundary penetrated into the province from January 16, enhancing widespread rainfall which was characterised by heavy to light rainfall.
“Significant rainfall intensity reductions coupled with less rain days were reported and severe in some parts of the province. Temperature profile did not change much and were warm to hot in the range 28 to 32º Celsius,” the department stated.
The department revealed that heavy and stormy rainfall was reported at Maamba - 90mm, Gwembe - 80mm and Kalomo - 79mm.
Others included Livingstone and Munyumbwe with 58mm and 56mm each. The majority of the stations received light to moderate rainfall (less than 49mm).
“The dekadal rainfall performance is below normal in most places except Livingstone, Kalomo, Maamba, and Gwembe. The rainfall performance from 1st December 2009 indicates that almost 50 per cent of the province had normal rainfall,” the department stated.
“These areas include Livingstone, Kalomo, Namwala, Itezhitezhi and parts of Namwala, Choma, Gwembe and Monze. The highest surplus was at Kalomo with 11 per cent. Siameja reported the lowest deficit with -43 per cent deficit. The previous season had over 90 per cent of the province under normal rainfall performance.”
The highest cumulative rainfall figures above 400mm were observed at Masasabi 496mm, Gwembe 481mm and Kalomo 480mm. Namwala FTC, Zambia Adventist University, Buleya Malima and Livingstone were in this category.
Labels: RAINFALL, ZMD
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COMMENT - Zambia needs to change it's farming methods and food crops. First off, perhaps there is a need to get off maize with it's heavy requirements for water and fertilizer, and get to producing drought resistant crops like sorghum, cassava, other root crops. Then, there is a need to get farmers off depending on rainfall by creating irrigation works - swales, ponds, dams, etc.
Prolonged drought worries ZNFU
By Fridah Zinyama
Mon 04 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT
ZAMBIA National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Jervis Zimba has expressed concern at the prolonged drought in some parts of the country.
And the Zambia Meteorological Department has said the moist Congo air will start flowing over the country and result in rainfall activities over most parts which are currently not receiving enough rainfall. In an interview, Zimba said the current weather pattern was very worrying as farmers were at this stage supposed to be putting top dressing fertiliser in their maize.
“We are concerned about the rainfall patterns in Southern province, Central Province and the southern half of Eastern province,” Zimba said.
He said the farmers union was worried about the weather pattern but was hopeful that the coming days would bring about some good rains to sustain the country’s food security.
“What normally happens after a dry spell is flooding, so we hope that the dry spell will not bring some floods,” Zimba said.
He said the union would by the end of January release results of an assessment which would indicate the impact of the pro-longed drought in some areas.
“We are still hoping for some good news in the coming few weeks,” said Zimba.
And the ZMD said the southern part of Eastern Province, Lusaka, Central and Southern provinces had been experiencing a dry spell expected to reduce with the flow of the moist Congo air which would start flowing over the country.
“We expect rainfall activities to increase in these areas and the rest of the country by Monday,” the department stated. “The rest of the country has been receiving enough rainfall.”
Earlier, a United Nations agency had observed that the weak to moderate El Nino weather system in the tropical Pacific Ocean had strengthened considerably and could create droughts and floods around the world until May.
World Meteorological Organisation representative Rupa Kumar Kolli said the phenomenon of warmer surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean could affect monsoons and hurricanes, causing droughts in some places and floods in others.
He said it was difficult to predict specific impacts in different regions because El Nino was not the only factor that determined weather, even though it was one of the most dominant.
“The current El Nino started in June and became moderate by September, with sea surface temperatures about 1 degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit) above normal in the eastern and central Pacific,” he said. “During October, almost all indicators of El Nino became noticeably stronger.”
Kolli said water temperatures had continued to warm in the area, while further to the west, they dropped below normal.
“Taken together, these developments indicate enhanced ocean-atmosphere coupling during this El Nino event across the tropical Pacific,” Kolli said.
He said an example was a very weak summer monsoon in South Asia that led to drought conditions in the region.
Kolli had earlier predicted that the El Nino would also likely lead to the weak Atlantic hurricane season recorded this year.
Labels: RAINFALL, ZNFU
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