admin
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Reporter
At least 6 000 people are set to benefit from a sustainable agriculture initiative that seeks to increase the resilience of rural communities and strengthen the capacity of those within the agri-food system to cope with shocks.
Through the ‘Seed for the Future’ (SEFF) project, the government of Italy through the Italian Agency for Development, is providing support to small-scale farmers in three districts of Masvingo Province to adopt sustainable agriculture models to ensure food security even during climatic and other shocks.
The project is being implemented by a consortium led by the Cooperation for the Development of Emerging Countries (COSPE) and is being rolled out in Masvingo, Mwenezi and Chiredzi rural districts.
Speaking at the official launch of the project recently, Italian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Umberto Malnati said the project complied with the most important UN Sustainable Development Goals that seek to end hunger, poverty and gender inequalities.
“The Italian Development Corporation and AICS are currently implementing several initiatives in the direction of small and medium local farmers.
“Italy, being one of the leaders in commercial agriculture worldwide, with a clear expertise on selected crops and value chains, could provide Zimbabwe many opportunities to improve its agriculture performances, both for small and medium producers and industrial ones,” he said.
He said during his initial meeting with President Mnangagwa upon his arrival in the country, he had promised to help strengthen Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector and improve cooperation between the two countries.
The SEFF project was rolled out in May last year and will run until May 2025.
The project aims to improve on farming traditional seed systems for millet, sorghum, rapoko, cowpeas and Bambara nuts.
It also targets value chain development for traditional grains and smallholder paprika production for export markets.
In a speech read on his behalf by head of Seed Services Institute Mr Edmore Mtetwa, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos, said the project was a step towards achieving the ultimate goal of food security and food self-sufficiency.
“Agriculture remains one of the key sectors in the quest to achieve Vision 2030, of transforming the country into an upper middle-class economy.
“This is possible through eliminating low agricultural productivity caused by unsustainable agricultural practices, poor quantity and quality of household diets, low incomes of rural households and a patriarchal system that limits and hinders women’s real participation in the socio-economic development of communities,” he said.
“The Seeds for the Future projects was tailor made to address these challenges amongst the 5920 beneficiaries over its three-year period.”
The districts where the project is being rolled out lie in natural region four and five and are prone to droughts.
Deputy Minister Haritatos said the introduction of interventions such as micro-irrigation gardens fed through project constructed weirs and a high output solar powered borehole was good.
The project will also introduce a feeding programme for children under the age of five in six targeted schools within the three districts through establishment of school gardens and poultry enterprises.
Speaking on behalf of Ms Lilian Matsika, the chief director in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Mrs Julia Mapungwana said the project demonstrated the value now being placed on the contribution of women in food nutrition and security.
“Women’s participation in agriculture is being hampered by effects of climate change and we applaud you for launching this programme which mitigates these effects.
“I have no doubt that this programme will promote inclusive development, advance the rights of women to food and income and improve food and nutrition security, in line with NDS1 and Vision 2030,” she said.
Besides the Copse, other partners implementing the project include Terre des Hommes Italy, Rete Semi Rurali with local partner organisations that include Sustainable Agriculture Technology (SAT), Community Technology Development Organisation (CTDO) and Women and Land in Zimbabwe.
Online Reporter