Online Reporter
Judith Phiri [email protected]
Bubi farmers have been called on to innovate, adopt climate-smart methods and business-driven strategies to improve food security for their livelihoods.
Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economy, supporting millions of livelihoods and supplying raw materials to manufacturing and export industries.
Speaking during an Agricultural Exhibition Show at Battlefields Primary School in Bubi on Friday, Bubi Ward 13 Councillor Buhle Ncube commended the farmers for participating at the show calling on them to continuously innovate.
“You are to celebrate innovation, agriculture and a better future. We commend the farmers who participated and may you continue to have such a show for Ward 13 as you have started,” she said.
“Innovating in agriculture is important especially now when we have to deal with climate change related challenges. Extreme weather disrupt farming methods and we need innovate solutions.”
She said modern plant breeding creates specialised crop varieties resistant to extreme heat, prolonged droughts and elevated soil salinity.
Cllr Ncube said as farmers prepare for the summer cropping season, they must start preparing against the predicted El Niño phenomenon.
Dubbed a powerful “Super” El Niño, global weather models indicate a 90 percent probability that the weather event will develop during the 2026/27 summer growing season.
“Start consulting now, buy the right seeds that do well in this area according to the agro-ecological patterns and also follow Government directives on what to do as well as when to plant,” she added.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) Bubi District Coordinator, Ms Nothani Ngwenya called on farmers to join lobby organisations such as ZFU for strong national representation, technical training and skills development.
“As one of the largest farmers’ interest organisation in the country, we help members improve their productivity and livelihoods as well as have improved market access.
“With the predicted El Niño phenomenon, we also assist in rolling out trainings for farmers so that they are aware of the mitigatory measures. Equipping farmers with modern, climate-smart agricultural skills and risk mitigation strategies is important,” she said.
She said to mitigate other unpredictable occurrences, ZFU was rolling out targeted support programmes in collaboration with Agricultural Business Advisory officers and Department of Vererinary Services.
Ms Ngwenya said encouraged fqrners to also take livestock resilience programmes seriously such as vaccination, dipping and establishing community fodder banks with partners.
Agricultural Business Advisory officer, Mr Victor Moyo called for farmers’ collaboration with Government and private sector players to achieve food security.
“We need to form synergies combining different farming practices such as crop-livestock integration and intercropping to create self-sustaining loops that lower costs and boost output. These integrated methods deliver key advantages like higher resource efficiency and better streams of income,” he said.
He encouraged farmers have local community seed banks to help them save, manage and regenerate traditional seeds that support food security and climate-resilient farming.
Bubi Ward 13 Senior Village Head, Mr Benjamin Swene called on farmers to work together and attend field schools to learn from others.
“When you go to another farmer who is doing well you observe, test local solutions together and collectively problem-solve issues affecting cropping and livestock production in this area,” he said.
