Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
SEVENTY four-year-old Gwanda based farmer, Mr Emmanuel Nare, expects to reap a good harvest despite the crippling El Nino weather patterns this season, after successfully planting seven hectares under sorghum.
He is one of the pioneer farmers who have fully embraced the growing of drought-resistant traditional small grains as part of efforts to boost yields and ease food shortages in the country.
A successful farmer based at Reata Ranch in Ward 23, Mr Nare says he took heed of the weather projections and once he heard the season will be lean, he quickly sought advice on the varieties of traditional grains to grow and settled for sorghum Sila and SV4 varieties.
He has started harvesting his crop.
Zimbabwe is one of the hardest hit by El Nino, which has resulted in poor rainfalls and crop failure across the country.
However, farmers like Mr Nare who planted traditional small grains such as sorghum and millet instead of the staple maize crop, were able to harvest something and would not suffer food shortages.
“I have seven hectares under sorghum, three hectares under the SV4 variety and four hectares under the Sila variety,” said Mr Nare.
“When I heard that we would experience the El Nino drought I inquired with an Agritex official on what sorghum variety I could grow.
“I have always been producing traditional grains, but I then realised that I had to adjust and plant a variety that will do well under these weather conditions and I’m glad that this has paid off,” he said.
Mr Nare said taking the advice from Agritex officers was a serious issue that every farmer must take note of. He said he only had two hectares under maize, but the crop was a write off.
Over the years Mr Nare said he has learnt that maize does not do well in his area hence he plays an active role to ensure proper supervision on workers.
With harvesting now underway, Mr Nare says he looks forward to making deliveries to the Grain Marketing Board.
“As farmers, we have a duty to ensure that we are highly productive on the land that we have, so that we can contribute towards ensuring food and nutrition security,” he said.
“If we could all take up the advice that we are being given and seek even more knowledge, we can record good yields each year. As farmers, we need to be innovative and seek new solutions.”
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary, Professor Obert Jiri, recently visited the ranch and urged farmers to plan according to their agro-ecological regions in order to climate proof production at household level for food security.
“We always emphasise that household food security is premised on climate proofing at household level. This area in now Region 5B, which is unsuitable for cropping, but we see here a farmer who climate proofed knowing what to grow in this area and the choice of the variety of the crop,” he said.
“The farmer is growing traditional grains, which we know will survive dry weather conditions. Even in this El Nino-induced drought, the farmer made good choices. He respected the agro-ecological region and choice traditional grains, which we prescribe for this particular agro-ecological region.”
Prof Jiri said climate-proofing will ensure that farmers get a decent harvest despite poor rains. Maize has been a popular crop, with many farmers producing it at commercial level, while others in the drier parts of the country have also continued to try their luck despite low yields and the risk of a write-off. But, traditional crops such as sorghum, pearl millet and rapoko are slowly becoming popular as people are becoming aware of their high nutritional value and improvement in technology, which has seen the introduction of machinery for processing them. — @DubeMatutu
Online Reporter