Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri , Business Reporter
ALL is set for the Zimbabwe Newspapers’ Sunday News Traditional Grains Conference scheduled for this Friday in Bulawayo.
The event aims to bring together stakeholders to discuss and develop strategies for improving the sustainable production of small grains as the summer cropping season beckons.
It is being held in partnership with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) Zimbabwe running under the theme: “Unlocking the potential of traditional grains for food and feed security.”
Traditional grains play a crucial role in Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector, contributing to food security, nutrition and sustainable livelihoods.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri, who will be the keynote speaker, said the Government was enhancing climate-smart ecological tailoring through the growing of crops in suitable agro-ecological regions to improve productivity.
“Regardless of any climate variability, a farmer must always respect the dictates of agro-ecological regions and should be advised of the correct crops to grow to ensure food security from the household to the national level.
“The Government is also educating farmers on agro-ecological matching to make sure they make correct choices that match the climatic and soil conditions of their regions to boost production and ultimately food security,” he said.
Prof Jiri said farmers were largely aware of the agro-ecological matching thrust and his Ministry distributed agro-ecological maps to provinces and districts.
The Permanent Secretary further explained that farmers who embraced agro-ecological matching, Pfumvudza/Intwasa and traditional grains cultivation were assured of decent yields this season, despite the minimal rainfall received by the nation for the 2023/24 season.
He added: “Crops belonging to farmers who embraced agro-ecological matching fare better than those produced without paying attention to the agro-ecological requirements specific for different regions. The implementation of the strategy has been on the increase in the cultivation of traditional grains, especially in the southern provinces of the country.”
Prof Jiri said the conference was critical as it will discuss climate resilience and sustainable production, development and commercialisation of traditional grain varieties.
Icrisat Zimbabwe country representative who is also the farming and systems analysis principal scientist, Dr Martin Moyo said the conference comes at an opportune time to get all stakeholders in agriculture to reflect on how best to improve or ensure food and nutrition security in the country.
“As we are aware, the major constraints in the semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe include erratic rainfall patterns (as experienced in the 2023/24 season) and high temperatures, as well as poor soil fertility, these conditions significantly limit crop production,” said Dr Moyo.
“Although sorghum and pearl millet are more tolerant to these abiotic constraints than maize, their productivity remains limited. This conference will therefore be important to unlock the potential contribution of these traditional grains to food and nutrition security in the country.”
He said the promotion and upscaling of drought-resilient crops, namely traditional grains such as sorghum, millet could contribute to increasing agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers as well as increase the capacity of communities to protect development gains in the face of recurrent shocks and stresses enabling them to contribute to the economic development of the country.
Dr Moyo said the conference will also be key in highlighting the benefits of the traditional grains.
“At Icrisat, we call them smart foods, they are good for you; good for the farmer and good for the planet.
Good for you in the sense that they are highly nutritious and target some of the largest micronutrient deficiencies and needs, especially of women and children. These include iron, zinc and folic acid, calcium, affordable protein, low glycemic index and high antioxidants among others.”
He said they were good for the farmer in the sense that they are climate resilient, hence they are a good risk management strategy.
The conference will be a one-day event structured around the keynote address, interactive sessions and panel discussions.
The proposed activities include an opening ceremony and a formal opening session featuring keynote speeches from Government officials and experts, highlighting the importance of traditional grains production and setting the context for the indaba.
The panel discussions will be expert-led on various topics, such as best agronomic practices, climate-smart farming techniques, market opportunities, value addition and post-harvest management.
There will also be knowledge sharing, through presentations by researchers, successful farmers, and industry experts, sharing their experiences, innovations, and success stories in traditional grains production.
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