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Precious Manomano
Herald Reporter
As part of the need to boost traditional grain production in the country, Government has increased the area under the crop to 700 000ha for the next summer cropping season from 640 000ha and is determined to make it the only dryland grain crop in natural regions 4 and 5 where maize fails in most years.
Last season farmers produced 300 000 tonnes of traditional grains from around 640 000ha.
Speaking on behalf of the stakeholder workshop at the international millet conference held in Harare Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Dr John Basera, who was represented by Agriculture Advisory Services chief director Professor Obert Jiri, said there is need to eliminate poverty, hunger, malnutrition to improve livelihoods through the promotion of climate-smart agriculture technologies, including traditional grains
“We need top climate-proof agriculture through the promotion of traditional grains. In our summer planning, we have declared that region 4 and 5 we are growing only traditional grains for the coming season. We need seed houses and other financial players to recommend that in terms of crop suitability region 4 and 5 is not suitable for maize production although traditional grains are still suitable for region 1 and 2,” he said.
Prof Jiri said productivity remains well below the genetic potential of released crop varieties due to a number of challenges confronting the smallholder sector including climate variability and change.
Sustainable agricultural production including traditional grains is a key policy thrust of the Government in the context of a significant threat to rural livelihoods emanating from climate change and variability.
He said millets have the ability to thrive in arid climatic conditions which are characterised by harsh conditions of drought, high temperatures, poor soil nutrition and provide a cheap source of essential nutrients that are vital in human and animal diet.
Millets are rich in protein, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, magnesium and fats. There are several health benefits making them an excellent choice for millions around the world who suffer from illnesses such as hypertension, obesity and celiac disease.
Ambassador of India to Zimbabwe Vijay Khanduja said India is in the forefront to promote awareness about millets.
“It has improved in the use of millets. It is not unique to India. I’m glad that it is coming back to Zimbabwe where people are realising its importance. People have realised that these were super foods . There are too many benefits for the body,” he said.
Agricultural Rural Development Authority board chairperson, Mr Ivan Craig said it is crucial to promote traditional grains but agreed that a lot awareness is needed.
“If a company makes an effort to breed a variety, we should in a position to promote it so that the uptake of the seed continues because we are lacking sustainability.
“People think small grains are for marginal areas but I tend to differ because in areas such as Matopos you see these varieties under harsh conditions, they are giving very good yields, around four tonnes. We should promote them in high potential areas where people don’t want to grow maize but can actually grow sorghum and millets and achieve very high yields which can even surpass the maize yields. We should also promote these traditional grains because we are still behind,” he said.Agricultural Research, Innovation and Development chief director Dr Dumisani Kutywayo said the thrust is to reach 1 million tonnes of traditional grains by 2030 and make sure that they contribute to the strategic grain reserve
”Zimbabwe has also set up a future grain consortium where different organisations such as research institutes ,Government research institutes meet to plan on how to accord the future grain status , in these meetings we talk about variety development and seed multiplication.
“Government has also developed a traditional grain strategy which is now in place and is addressing issues such as production , challenges, seed systems, variety development and issues to do with consumption along the value chain. Over and above that its touches the issues to do with research and development, climate change adaptation, value addition among other things,” he said.
“This season showed good progress in traditional grains production with the area also significantly increasing.
There has been an increase of about 16 percent of the area under pearl millet from 163 138 ha in 2021-2022 season to 188 856 ha in 2022-2023 season. Similarly the area under finger millet also increased by 56 percent from 21 242 ha in 2021-2022 to 29 294 ha in the 2022-2023 season. However there is a slight drop in the area under sorghum by seven percent from 321 216ha in 2021-2022 to 319 789ha in the 2022-2023 season.
The productivity levels of traditional grains increased compared to the previous season.
Yield levels of pearl millet increased by 40 percent from 0.27 tonnes/ha to 0.38 tonnes/ha and the pattern was similar for sorghum whose yield levels increased by 33 percent to 0.6 tonnes/ha from 0.45 tonnes/ha in the previous season.
Traditional grains, indigenous to Africa, were the staple grain for sadza right up into the 1920s, although maize, a Central American crop, had reached Zimbabwe several centuries earlier through trade routes from the coast but was seen more as a vegetable, being roasted as green mealies rather than ground to meal. Easier processing and potentially higher yields on good soil in a wetter rainy season saw maize production rise. Modern technologies to process traditional grain without the double cooking and processing once needed have helped restore its popularity, and the processed meal is now a popular item on the shelves of upmarket supermarkets.
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