Sugar cane growers in Nkomazi meet to address challenges
The Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs said it intervened after the growers had raised their concerns on the state of their sugar cane.
Sugar cane growers in Nkomazi recently gathered for a management information day at Spoon 7 sugar cane farm in Masibekela Village.
The aim of this event was to share information on best practices and to create awareness on current diseases affecting sugar cane production in the area.
Representatives of RCL, the Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency, the South African Sugarcane Research Institute, TSGRO and Enviro-Leadership Consultants shared insights on various topics on sugar cane management. These include pest and disease status updates for the Lowveld region to help them with control measures. They discussed sugar cane supply, herbicides and water user allocations.
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The Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (Dardlea) said sugar cane growers reportedly acquired less tonnage due to high fertiliser costs and diseases affecting the crops.
Dardlea’s spokesperson, Zanele Shabangu, said, “They have since pleaded for an intervention to their challenges, to help avoid a potential collapse of sugar cane fields on the Magudu, Spoon 8 and Masibakele farms.
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“Farmers are advised to look out for damages on crops, pest and disease in sugar cane such as the yellow sugarcane aphid (YSA), which are insects that target dense colonies on the underside of the older bottom leaves’ surface next to the midrib of the cane. YSA can be prevented by applying chemical control for two to three months.”
According to the department, these are some of the initial symptoms to look out for: water stress and leaves turning yellow, red or purple.
