Embrace organic farming, farmers urged

Wimbainashe Zhakata Mutare Correspondent
FARMERS in Manicaland Province have been urged to embrace organic farming, which is environment-friendly and gives them access to international markets.

Manicaland Agritex Livestock and Crops officer Mr Cephas Mlambo said most farmers engage in conventional farming because they are more concerned with the quantity of their produce and not quality.

“In most cases, organic farming is more about the quality of the crop, which is good for marketing.

“Most farmers choose and prefer conventional farming rather than organic farming because of quantity they produce, even though it is harmful to the environment,” he said.

Mr Mlambo said Government was on a drive to promote organic farming through low input gardens mostly found in rural communities.

“We support organic farming in Zimbabwe through mobilising farmers in rural areas and training them about the importance of organic farming in our environment.

“Organic produce draws more international markets compared to conventional produce because the crops that grow naturally are more expensive since they have fewer chemicals. There is what we call small-holder gardens or low input gardens by community farmers.

“They are more reliable because farmers can reduce their production costs because they do not need to buy expensive chemicals and fertilisers.

“Organic farms save energy and protect the environment. More animals and plants can live in the same place in a natural way.

“They also provide higher biodiversity, hosting more bees, birds and butterflies. They also have higher soil and water quality and emit fewer greenhouse gases,” said Mr Mlambo.

Organic farming is an agricultural system that uses ecologically based pest controls and biological fertilisers derived largely from animal and plant wastes and nitrogen-fixing cover crops.

Modern organic farming was developed as a response to the environmental harm caused by the use of chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilisers in conventional agriculture and it has numerous ecological benefits.