At Maruleng municipality the saying is being confirmed. It was a common practice for quite a long time ago for farmers to start planting maize under rain fed conditions as early as the beginning of November.

That was a long established practice as rainfall seasons were quite predictable and favourable.

That has since changed. Rain fall and its distribution patterns could no longer be predicted.

To cater for such drastic climatic changes and its huge threat to food insecurity in the area, the Limpopo department of Agriculture, Land and Rural Development through its Extension and Advisory services in partnership with the private sector namely: seed companies, NTK,millers, and other stakeholders in the maize industry have embarked on a detailed training program to prepare Smallholder producer communities to produce enough and more food for themselves even under such prevailing difficult circumstances.

Coupled with drought during the 2018/19 production season, was lack of mechanisation equipments to prepare the land.

Such training sessions with the focus on continuity and outcome started as early as August 2018.