adminThe advent of climate change can no longer be ignored given its ruinous consequences especially on resources poor communal farmers.
More than ever, the obtaining extreme weather vagaries have put to the fore the need these often vulnerable rural populations to be innovative, receptive and embracive to new discoveries, research and agronomical advice.
The current situation demands a deviation from the usual culture of business as usual. Instead, they should weigh, pursue and embrace models of farming suitable for and sustainable in their regions.
Focus should not be on traditional practices of ill informed crop husbandry, but on improving the resilience of production systems despite being faced with climate unpredictability. Where crops are grown, they should settle for drought resistant and early maturing varieties that have better chances of surviving extreme weather conditions.
Farmers should not be parochial, but think from outside the box and appreciate how others in similar or worse circumstances are doing.
This era of climatic unpredictability demands communal farmers to adopt a paradigm shift and explore alternative routes to sustainable rural livelihoods in those contrasting agro-ecological settings.
They should act on agricultural research-based advice.
This recognition has led many researchers to present sustainable livelihood that can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks, maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base.
If such advice has improved the livelihoods of many smallholder farmers in dry areas in another country, why should Zimbabwe be an exception? There is need for more intensive efforts to get these useful technologies into the hands of our communities on a wider scale.
A case in point is the livelihoods diversification in Buhera and Chipinge.
Communal farmers in the two districts have taken up livestock and crop production as livelihood strategies to ensure long term viability.
Livelihood diversification can only take place when our rural populations change the composition of agricultural products they produce.
It is a good starting point for those with low levels of capital in Buhera.
We applaud efforts by Goal Zimbabwe to restructure the production mix in Buhera through the crop-livestock integration.
Goal Zimbabwe is assisting these farmers with better livestock breeds for cross-breeding. This has not only helped farmers to maintain fertility through the incorporation of animal litter into soil, but the animals themselves provide other products as well, in addition to acting as a liquid asset.
Goal Zimbabwe’s package covers agronomy, integrated crop-livestock systems, market linkages, supporting diversification into higher value crops, and creating new income opportunities through value adding to crop and livestock products.
This should be embraced and applauded by all progressive people. Why, because they help to build up or maintain rural agricultural production and reduce risk. With such sound advice, one would not expect any reasonable family to try the impossible, when better and viable options are at their disposal.
Farmers should discard the crop, especially maize, mentality which over the years has failed with disastrous consequences.
Maize is known to succumb in scorching heat and the same cannot be said about livestock. We therefore encourage laggards to make hay while the sun still shines.
They should ride on the tide and diversify their productive activities to encompass a range of other productive areas.
Livestock is the social aspirin to take the resource poor communal farmer through the drift. It is a profitable and most ideal type of farming.
What is required of them is to approach it as a business and a major income generating activity.
Advantages for such diversification are multifarious, linked with wide range of possible activities, and associated with positive outcomes.
Online Reporter