SHANNISE DZOBO
MASVINGO-In a recently released report by the Environmental Management Agency 412 fire incidents were recorded since July 1, this year affecting 34 194 31 hectares.
The fire incidents were recorded in July when the fire season began and August, before that 2 488 incidences were recorded and 354 320 hectares of land was affected.
Earlier this year the Minister Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Mangaliso Ndlovu revealed that 2022 was one of the worst years with 60% increase in veld fire reports compared to 2021.
In 2022 a total of 7 511 fire incidents were recorded during the dry season, which destroyed 1 753 055 hectares of land compared to 3 948 fire incidents recorded in 2021 subsequently destroying 1 033 722.86 hectares of land.
There was also an increase of deaths recorded whereby in 2018, 18 people died as compared to 5 deaths that were recorded in 2021.
Provinces that are highly exposed to the veld fires in the year 2023 are Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and Matabeleland North while districts that fall in extreme risk are Nyanga, Mutasa, Mutare and Chimanimani.
They even put up pre-suppression measures whereby farmers have been focusing much on Biomas reduction and as of now there has been hay baling with 115 645 bales protecting 9 907 hectares.
There has been construction of the fire guard extending to over 11 981.66km protecting 295 171.3 hectares, also thatch grass have been harvested with 116 946 bundles protecting 680.5 hectares, fire orders issues are 2 689 out of the 6 712 farms under resettlement and 475 training meetings done with 14 306 participants.
The fire season was usually known to be marked from 1 July to the 30th of October every year but for 2022 it was extended to 30 November after the realisation that more fire incidents were still being recorded even beyond the cut off day.
EMA report went on to urge all farmers and everyone at large to know that fire management at farm level is critical to protect the harvest and farm implements.
It is also of paramount importance for farmers to have fire guards and the fire fighting tools in place and also the collaboration between the Agency and the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement has to be upscaled in fire and land management to ensure improved land productivity.
