Story by Providence Maraneli
A hailstorm that swept through parts of Matabeleland South on Monday evening has left a trail of destruction, wiping out winter wheat crops at the Makwe Irrigation Scheme.
What was anticipated to be a bumper harvest has now turned into a major setback for farmers in the area, as the severe weather event decimated large portions of the crop.
The incident raises concerns over the vulnerability of agriculture to climate-induced disasters, particularly in regions relying heavily on irrigation schemes for food production.
The hailstorm destroyed almost 60 hectares of their crop, which was ready for harvest.
“We are heartbroken. We were looking forward to a bumper harvest, and all is gone. We do not even know where to start. We had planted 72 hectares, and only 12 hectares were spared. This is a loss, a great loss. Our wheat is gone,” Chairperson of the Makwe irrigation scheme, Mr Lewis Ncube said.
Farmers recount 45 minutes of hell that brought 23 millimetres of rain, which was accompanied by strong winds that destroyed a crop that was ready for harvest.
“We do not know where to start. We were here just last week, celebrating prospects of a bumper harvest, but it is all gone. We are heartbroken,” a farmer said.
“We are hurting, all the investment is gone, we were pinning our hopes on the crop, and we had done so well this year,” a wheat farmer said.
“We planted 72 hectares, and of that, 60 hectares are gone; it is a major loss to the farmers who had done so well this season. We will see if we can salvage something,” ARDA manager Makwe Irrigation Scheme, Ms Talent Machaka said.
The disaster brings to the fore issues around insurance in the agricultural sector.
“This is sad, but it brings to the fore the issues that we always advocate for, of making sure that crops are insured because it is important. From what I am seeing, maybe 50 % of the crop is gone,” Deputy Director Agritex, Mr Bhekilizwe Ncube said.
The storm also destroyed more than 200 hectares of maize at ARDA Antelope in Maphisa.
