Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
THE Department of Agriculture and Livestock in Matabeleland South Province is targeting to have at least one nutrition garden established in each ward to ensure food and nutrition security within households.
Government and its various partners which include Non-Governmental Organisations and other institutions have facilitated the establishment of a number of nutrition gardens, mostly solar powered within communities in the province.
The gardens have assisted communities to access nutritious diets. They are also a source of livelihood for some households.
In an interview Matabeleland South acting provincial agricultural director rural development services, Mr Mkhunjulelwa Ndlovu said communities had to shift from operating market gardens and focus on nutritional gardens.
Mr Ndlovu said farmers operating market gardens were only focusing on production of vegetables.
“The province has about 60 nutritional gardens that are productive. We want farmers to shift from operating gardens that only focus on production of leafy vegetables but also produce tubers, legumes and fruits in order to balance their diets,” he said.
Mr Ndlovu said the target was for each ward to have at least one hectare nutritional garden. “This will help in terms of supplying communities with fresh farm produce at local level. This will also relieve villagers of the burden of travelling to towns for their farm produce,” he said.
Mr Ndlovu said farmers that were operating nutritional gardens now appreciate the importance of nutrition hence were cultivating a number of crops.
These farmers, he said, are now producing tomatoes, butternut, onion, carrots, cucumbers, pepper, spinach, peas, green beans and water melons among other crops. He said the collaborative work between Agritex and the Ministry of Health and Child Care through the nutrition department, has helped to disseminate information on nutrition.
Mr Ndlovu said where nutrition remains a challenge they hold field days and cooking demonstrations to educate communities.
He said farmers were starting to realise that nutritious crops fetch more on the market.
Mr Ndlovu said diversity creates a wide market for farmers which helps to improve their income. “In order to bridge the gap and upscale nutrition levels within communities we have engaged partners to assist with resources where necessary. Government has said people should adopt a holistic approach to in farming in order to derive maximum benefits,” he said.
Mr Ndlovu said farmers should not only focus on crop production but also engage in poultry and fish farming among other projects.–@DubeMatutu
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