Farmers need seeds, fertiliser and heavy downpour of rain with a reasonable degree of consistency and sustainability for a reasonable time before actual sowing of crops could take place.
Foroyaa has been consulting farmers nationwide to know their challenges. The National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation (commonly called GGC) had earlier confirmed that they have sufficient fertiliser in stock for this coming season and has planned to turn the seccos that had delivered during the last trade season into partners for the sale of the fertiliser to the farmers.
Some shops are also to be involved, and Foroyaa will find out the criteria for the selection of these shops. It is important that the fertiliser is dispatched to the seccos as soon as possible. Farmers claim that the fertiliser is applied immediately after sowing though others claim that they apply it after the first weeding. Experts in farming from the ministry of agriculture advise that fertiliser be applied after the first weeding.
Foroyaa will investigate and report on the best time to apply fertiliser during a cropping season.
While GGC is ready to dispatch stocks of fertiliser it is still unclear whether there is enough stock of seeds and adequate means to make them accessible to the farmers without delay.
Foroyaa will be investigating the level of preparedness of the farmers and those institutions that are to provide seeds and fertiliser aimed at ensuring a successful planting of crops. Foroyaa has learnt that in some areas planting has taken place while in other areas there has been intermittent dry spells after initial downpours. Hence some farmers are still waiting for more downpours before sowing.
This raises the challenge of having enough extension workers who should be able to help farmers in their assessment of the downpour of rain to warrant the sowing of crops. Foroyaa will continue to monitor the process and give sufficient information to all stakeholders in order to promote a successful cropping season.
