OSHANA regional governor Elia Irimari says his region is faced with the potential risk of drought because of inconsistent rain last summer.
He urges farmers to use early mature varieties of seed and to observe agricultural principles. He says the conservation methods would improve yields in times of drought.
"Based on field observations, farmers who planted on time and used early mature crop varieties, such as kashana 2, kangara, macia, nakare, shindimba, and red sorghum are expecting a good harvest," Irimari says.
He says farmers who planted local varieties are faced with the potential challenge of low yields.
"In general, the harvest for this cropping season is expected to be smaller, compared to the previous cropping season," he says.
The governor says the number of seed growers has increased in the regions.
"Therefore, farmers are urged to buy seeds on time, even if it is not raining. Inorganic fertilisers are procured through the dryland crop-production programme, but are limited due to available funds," the governor says.
Irimari says drought is looming in his area.
"If you drive around the Oshana region, you will see that even some oshana pans are dry. That is an indication there will be drought," he says.
He says farmers who used traditional mahangu seeds are expecting a tough time, and those who used the early mature varieties are getting good yields.
"We are not expecting a bumper harvest as usual. Farmers need to make use of modern farming methods," Irimari says.
He says rotational farming must be prioritised to restore soil nutrients.
"What many farmers do is to grow mahangu year in and year out. If we change our farming techniques, we will have a good yield. Apply organic manure and other fertilsers to increase soil fertility," he advises.
Irimari encourages farmers to leave parts of their fields uncultivated to allow the land to recover.
He says the supply of seeds to farmers in the region is prioritised and will be delivered before the next rainy season in collaboration with the constituency councillors.
