Faith Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter.
Mopane worm harvesters hope the April harvest will boost their livelihoods after a poor yield earlier this year.
Although the April to May harvest is usually smaller, they believe the worms may have thrived due to the good rains, potentially offering better returns than the main harvest, which typically occurs between December and January.
The El Nino drought-induced dry spell, followed by a heatwave that hit the southern region, weakened the trees, decimating the worm population as it disrupted the ecosystem and resulted in a dismal harvest.
The popular mopane worms (amacimbi) provide a lifeline for rural families that are struggling with unemployment and economic hardships.
Mrs Alice Ncube from Plumtree said the heatwave and dry spell resulted in the poor mopane worm harvest in the region.
“The butterflies made many eggs in preparation, but unfortunately, the heatwave that came severely affected the progress of these eggs, with birds also taking advantage of the vulnerable eggs, which reduced them to nothing,” she said.
She added that the prolonged late rains are expected to yield a bumper harvest in April, and farmers are preparing to reap the benefits of the favorable weather.
“We will wait for the ones that we usually harvest in the month of April, we are very much sure that there are going to be many worms this time around because of the heavy rains that we have received,” said Mrs Ncube.
