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88. Because the rainy seasons are longer in the Southern and Western Provinces than in Kongwa this extension of planting and harvesting seasons should be more marked.
Working Rates for Agricultural Operations
89. The following operating rates were achieved at the end of March, 1949, at Kongwa:-
(i) Levelling
83
8.00 acres per tractor hour
(ii) One-way discing
1.06
(iii) Tandem discing
2.23
(iv) Planting groundnuts
1.62
"
"
(v) Weeding
4.00
03
(vi) Drag harrowing
4.00
"
"
(vii) Cultivating
1.46
D
"
(viii) Digging
1.00
.99
".
(ix) Raking
2.00
19
(x) Combining
1.50
59
(xi) Ploughing: Light
0.50
A
Heavy.. 0.75
"
Acreage planted at Kongwa
90. There were 46.267 acres planted by the end of March, 1949:
Unit 1
Unit 2
* Unit 3
Total
Groundnuts...
Sunflower:
Rowcrop
Non-rowcrop
Maize
:.
5,050
8,C90
11,965
25,105
3,862
2,683
1,160
7,705
8,010
985
2,729
11,724
58
1,675
1,733
16,922
11,816
17,529
46,267
Details can be seen from Map II.
Effects of the Drought of 1948-49
91. The 1948-49 season was marked by a severe drought which affected the greater part of the African continent. At Kongwa the rains were late in starting and planting was not possible before January 1, 1949, several weeks late. Germination was satisfactory, and with good February rains the crops showed promise. The critical growing month of March, however, was disastrous. Practically no effective rain fell after the first ten days, and botn groundnut and sunflower plants suffered severely; the earliest sown crops ripened prematurely, the latest sown were almost completely lost.
92. While the Kongwa Region suffered so severely portions of the Northern, Western and Lake Provinces also suffered and even in the Eastern Province the drought was felt. Kenya, Nyasaland, Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia and the Union of South Africa all experienced in varying degrees the rigours of severe drought.
93. The Urambo Region suffered more from the irregularly distributed and late rainfall than from the total shortfall.
94. The Southern Province Region suffered least.
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