Use exhibited seed, Petauke farmers advised

—-Petauke District Agricultural Coordinating Officer (DACO), Friday Sikombe, has called on farmers in the district to choose seeds for the 2013-2014 farming season from seed companies which exhibited their grains at the field day.

Speaking at a farmers’ Field Day held at the Farmers Training Centre (FTC) in Petauke yesterday, Mr Sikombe said it is high time farmers knew which certified seed was best for their farming system.

The DACO called on farmers to share the knowledge gained at the Field Day with others so that they plan properly for the fourth-coming farming season.

He added that it is cardinal for farmers to start implementing crop rotation if they are to maximize their yields.

Mr Sikombe reaffirmed that government has already strategized and put measures in place to combat the challenge of late distribution of farming inputs.

He said this year farmers will receive the farming inputs before August.

The DACO, however, called on farmers to avoid dependence on the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) but to organise themselves upon selling their maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

Seed companies, such as Seed-co, Pioneer, Pannar, MRI seed and Farming God’s Way are among the companies which exhibited their grains.

This year’s Field Day was celebrated under the theme “Diversified Agriculture Production in Coping with Global Climate Change”.