SEVERAL farmers in Beitbridge have lost irrigated crops to frostbite that has reportedly never been witnessed in the district in years.
Temperatures in Beitbridge and parts of Matabeleland South province and the northern parts of South Africa have dropped to record lows.
Beitbridge district Agritex officer Masauso Mawocha told Southern Eye that the sugar bean crop at Shashi Community Irrigation Scheme was severely affected by the frost.
“We have several reports like that from across the district’s irrigated cropping,” Mawocha said.
“Crops have been hit by frostbite and some reports have come from wards 5 and 12. It is an unusually cold winter.
“This winter has been particularly bad for crops. Another farmer lost a whole winter maize crop in central Beitbridge.”
Veterinary Department head Rutendo Mwaramba referred questions to her superiors in Harare when contacted for comment.
Sources, however, said farmers were slaughtering their livestock in fear of deaths as a result of the frost.
- Frostbite hits Beitbridge, destroys crops
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Elizabeth Ndou of Beitbridge East said her irrigated fodder was hit by frostbite.
“We woke up to see ice on the grass and trees. It was extremely cold in the morning and we have never experienced such a cold winter before,” she said.
Beitbridge businessman and cattle farmer Terry Charles Mulowa said a plot he leased to grow fodder was also badly hit.
“There is no other way, but to restart. I had a variety of fodder plants and none was spared by the cold,” he said.
In Beitbridge urban, residents living close to the Limpopo River said the river “looked frozen” last Tuesday.
“The windscreen of my car had a layer of ice last Tuesday. It was a new experience,” said Tariro Moyo, who lives near the Limpopo River.
Bars and other beer outlets have of late been deserted and activities which underlie Beitbridge’s nightlife have either slowed down or been abandoned altogether as a result.
A source at the Beitbridge Meteorological Station said they had never recorded such low temperatures in years.
“Last week on Tuesday and Wednesday, we had ground temperatures at -3C, while atmospheric temperature was at -0,8 all in the negative,” the source claimed.
