Farmers in Kwekwe district have now significantly improved their farming practices by constantly attending farmers’ field days organized by AREX and other stakeholders in the district. Farmers have found that field days are an irreplaceable oasis in gaining new farming techniques, access new and advanced technology. The Farming Magazine attended several field days held across Kwekwe district and learnt from the farmers who attended these farmers field how they(field days) had helped them enhance their farming methods.
According to Midlands Regional Agronomist with a seed company, Gift Zimunya, farmer’s field days provide technical knowledge to farmers as the field days are a platform of sharing and exchange of ideas.
“They are strong advantages gained through attending farmers’ field days, as farmers share knowledge and information. Farmers have access to expert knowledge as knowledge is gained through observing crops in the field, thereby learning on the spot. Farmers also get technical advice on increasing their production from technical experts,” said Zimunya.
The field days were held by Small scale farmers and Resettled farmers across Kwekwe district. At a field day held at Calistos Sikhonzile Moyo in Mavhule Zhombe , farmers were urged to control and manage weeds also improve on weeding techniques so as to get a higher yield. Also farmers were urged by experts to constantly practice crop rotations as to in order to control and manage weeds, which is costly to farmers as weeds would force farmers to hire extra labour force.
“Here in Zhombe the soil is exhausted ,so today I have learnt that I should constantly use lime in my fields as we have sandy soils, as the soil needs lime not fertilizers in order to restore the fertility of the soil. We will form groups in order to buy lime at affordable prices from lime suppliers in Kwekwe. A two and half hectare field requires 2500 kilograms of lime. Also to cut down on labour costs we have been urged to use herbicides on weeds such as parasitic witch weed (Strigaasiatica) which is wrecking havoc in our fields, the weed derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from a living plant”, said Absalom Ndlovu a farmer in Zhombe, who ceases not to attend field days.
Arex District Officer Felistas Mare said field days are a teaching tool for farmers as farmers learn by ‘marrying theory and practice’.
“Field days are a teaching tool for farmers as they learn by integrating theory and practice, it’s a learning curve, field days also are vehicles for dissemination of information on farming technology and techniques, field days also help categorize farmers into commodity groups like maize, groundnuts, cotton and other crops in order to provide Agricultural Extension officers on commodity specialization data base,” said Mare.
