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Monalisa Chikwengo
Government has declared traditional grains (sorghum, finger and pearl millet) as strategic crops because of their drought tolerance and also to ensure food and nutrition security.
This was said by Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos in a meeting with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) visiting delegation from Rome.
The meeting was to promote biodiversity and plans for the launch of the International Year of Millets which will be held in Masvingo tomorrow.
Deputy Minister Haritatos said Government’s number one priority was attaining food and nutrition self-sufficiency through the role that traditional grains play.
“The Government of Zimbabwe has declared traditional grains (sorghum, finger and pearl millet) as strategic crops because of their drought tolerance that makes them fit well in the semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe,” he said.
He said traditional grains were being included in the Government programme of climate proofing agriculture, known as the Presidential Input Programme dubbed Pfumvudza/Intwasa, whereby all farmers in the marginal agro-ecological areas were getting input support to produce traditional grains.
“The programme has resulted in increased production of the millets. For example, the area under pearl millet increased by 15 percent from 157 634 hectares in the 2021/22 season to 181 66ha during the current season while the area under finger millet increased by 56 percent from 21 242ha last season to 33 208ha currently,” Dep Min Haritatos said.
Sorghum and millet are ranked the second staple cereal crop after maize in Zimbabwe.
Government is working with FAO in promoting food and nutrition self-sufficiency through traditional grains.
The International Year of Millet will be launched in Masvingo tomorrow and with the objective of fulfilling Strategic Development Goal (SDG) one of eradicating poverty.
FAO Technical Officer (OCBT) Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) Mr Mario Marino said the organisation’s main purpose was to deal with the compliance of different countries in terms of food security and self-sufficiency.
FAO has multi-country projects in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“We reached almost 30 000 farmers in different parts of the countries and community seed banks have been established as well as farmer field schools for conservation of all the traditional varieties,” he said.
Traditional grains are important for diversifying food systems as well as general crop biodiversity at household level.
Government is promoting biodiversity by encouraging farmers to grow cereal crops.
“Millet fits very well in our bid to diversify our cropping systems and enhance biodiversity, while ensuring food and nutrition self-sufficiency and the attainment of SDG two of zero hunger,” Dep Min Haritatos said.
Online Reporter