Prolonged drought has continued to lavage most farms. Things have moved from bad to worse and farmers are now counting losses. It is during the first and last quarter of every year that farmers who do irrigation make a profit. For the past three years, things have continued deteriorating.
1.Crops are drying off
Majority of farmers in horticulture depend on irrigation to produce their crops. Sadly, most rivers have dried up before the crops mature. It is a very sad and hurting situation for a farmer to see his crop he has invested all his money weather and die helplessly.
Water stress is responsible for fruit and flower abortion in crops. A loss in flowers means a loss in yield and defiantly low income. The fruits that survive end up premature and of low quality that can only fetch the lowest prices in the market.
Incidents of sunburn on fruits have been observed in most farms due to extremely hot weather conditions. This has lowered the quality of fresh produce getting into the market attracting low prices.
2.Decline in livestock production
Most dairy cows in the zero-grazing units are affected. Fodders and pastures have become a scarce resource with the cost of concentrates raising. This has led to delayed heat intervals and subsequently reduced milk production. Read also: How to conserve water in farming
The body condition of most zero-grazing cows has deteriorated due to poor feeding. The cost of feeds and fodders has doubled up.
No young calves no milk, no meat and no harvests. The lucky farmers who manage to harvest their products are also struggling with low market prices.
The biggest worry is that most farmers might never recover or be able to produce more crops than they used to. Finally, the government should come up with a mechanism of cushioning farmers against huge losses in dare seasons like this to enable them to continue producing more.
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