Farmers urged to intensify hay bailing as fire season begins

The beginning of the fire season has seen the government imploring farmers to intensify hay-bailing to boost livestock supplementary feed reserves while also creating a buffer zone to prevent veld fire incidents.

The fire season is now upon us with the government rallying all stakeholders, including farmers and rural community leaders, to be on high alert in the event of imminent fire outbreaks.

Some farmers have already embarked on the hay baling programme, and the clarion call is that all farmers should cut grass, which is in abundance, and turn it into the much-needed stock feed reserves.

“The fire season always comes with the dangers of killing natural flora and fauna, and worse still case of people dying as result of fire outbreaks are reported every fire season, so we have grass in abundant, the solution is simple let cut the grass and turn it into livestock feed reserves,” said Mazowe district Agritex officer, Musekiwa Murisa.

Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Professor Obert Jiri weighed in, “We have learnt a lot from previous fires, now that the fire season is with us, here we have a good example where this farmer here in Mazowe, is turning grass in hay bails to process reserve stock feeds for his Cattle, so what we are simply saying here is let stop unnecessary fires, let’s hay bail, produces boost livestock feed and stop burning grass.”

Over 4 500 veld fire incidents were recorded last year, destroying nearly one million hectares countrywide.

ZBC